Unforeseen Circumstances
by chuckchuckchuck
Summary: Kathryn and Chakotay are coming to terms with the feelings they have for each other, when unforeseen circumstances happen. J/C. Please read and review! feed back is very helpful since Im still kind of new to this. Multiple chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I don't own anything star Trek. But I wish I did. Just a story from my head using someone else's characters.**

"Kathryn...Kathryn!" Hollered Gretchen Janeway. "You have an incoming transmission!" Gretchen waited a few seconds before she raised her voice to a level she hadn't had to use since Kathryn was young. "Kathryn! Hurry up! They are not going to wait all day!"

Still no response from her daughter. _What could be keeping her? _Thought Gretchen. She decided it would be easier at this point to go upstairs and find out what could be so important that Kathryn would be ignoring her own mother. As she started up the stairs, Kathryn appeared at the second floor landing.

"Did you holler for me mother?" Kathryn asked.

"I've been calling to you for the past 5 minutes. You have an incoming transmission." Gretchen replied with a bit more irritation in her voice then she had intended.

"I'm sorry mom. I honestly didn't hear you. I've been trying to meditate, you know, clear my mind a bit." Kathryn apologized. "Do you know who's calling for me?"

"No, its marked for you specifically. I figured it wasn't meant for my eyes and ears. Now please, just go answer the transmission so I can finish making lunch." Kathryn's mom was again calm and back to her normal reasonable self.

Kathryn hurried down the stairs and went into the den where she could receive the transmission with some privacy. She sat at the desk for a couple of seconds to giver herself a chance to straighten up for whoever it was that was trying to contact her. When Kathryn was ready she tapped the computer screen that sat in front of her on the desk. The Starfleet insignia disappeared and was immediately replaced with a familiar face.

"Hello, Kathryn. I hope I wasn't interrupting something important." Chakotay smiled, immediately setting the tone for his call.

"Not at all." Kathryn smiled back at her old friend and former first officer. "What do I owe this unexpected call?" Now it was her turn to set the mood for the rest of the conversation.

"I know its been a while since we last spoke but..." Chakotay started to explain, but was interrupted by Kathryn.

"You're right, it's been at least a month...or has it been longer?"

"I figured you could be keeping track," Chakotay teased good naturedly before continuing, "But you knew I was going to be out on an archeological dig and..." Deciding to put him out of his misery Kathryn again interrupted Chakotay saying,

"No worries, Chakotay. I was only teasing." She smiled and gestured to Chakotay to continue with what he was going to say.

"Well, Kathryn, I was really hoping that we could have dinner tonight. You know, if you don't already have plans." Chakotay seemed nervous to Kathryn and she wanted to know why.

"I'd love to, Chakotay. Its been awhile since we've had dinner together. It'll be just like old times."

"It sure will." Chakotay smiled.

"Well, where would you like to meet?" Kathryn asked.

"I was hoping you'd pick. My only suggestion is we pick somewhere that we can talk." Chakotay said.

"In that case, you should just meet at my house. My mom is going out on the town with Phoebe, so we will have the whole house to ourselves." Kathryn suggested.

"Sounds perfect!" Chakotay was genuinely pleased.

"Ok, see you here then around...what time do you think? 1800 or 1900 hours?" Kathryn asked.

"Lets make it 1800 hours, we'll have more time to talk that way."

"Great, see you then." Kathryn ended the transmission and slowly sank into her chair. Letting out the breath she didn't know she had been holding, Kathryn smiled to herself at the prospect of seeing her best friend again. To her, it seemed to have been an eternity since she had seen Chakotay last.

Voyager had been home from the Delta Quadrant for over a year. Since their return, life had been hectic to say the least. The entire crew dispersed like ants, all over the quadrant shortly after they had been released to do so. Chakotay and Seven broke up almost immediately upon their arrival home. Chakotay had explained that neither Seven nor himself wanted to pursue a relationship with each other and felt the quicker they ended things the better. Apparently their relationship had begun out of convenience and desperation, rather then any deep seeded romantic feelings or attachment. Either way, they were no longer together. Chakotay began working for the university archeology department in San Francisco. He was finally able to pursue his passion for history. Seven ran off to her aunt's house in Sweden. There she pursued her own humanity. Tom and B'Elanna decided to buy a condominium next door to Admiral Paris', so little Miral could grow up near her family. As for Tuvok, he did the logical and expected thing. He went home to unite with his wife and children. He then excepted a position at Starfleet Academy, teaching First Year cadets the art of logical decision making during times of extreme pressure. Harry Kim spent some time getting reacquainted with his adoring parents, but was quickly lured back into space as he was offered a First Officer position aboard the Constellation.

"Kathryn?" Gretchen poked her head around the partially closed door to the den. "Is everything alright?"

Kathryn smiled softly and turned toward her mother. "Everything is as expected." She replied quietly.

Kathryn's daydreams about her crew, her former crew, always brought a sense of melancholy to her. Sure, she was happy to be home; happy to have returned the majority of her crew home to their families and their friends. But, part of her felt lost, empty and longing for the days when everyone aboard Voyager was her friends and her family. Again, Kathryn silently corrected herself. She knew her former crew will always be special to her and they would always feel a closeness to their former Captain, but as the old saying goes: _All good things must come to an end_.

Gretchen saw that her daughter had a far-off look on her face. Her eyes were not focused on anything or anyone in the room. Gretchen came to realize her daughter always got that look when she got done speaking to one of her former crew members. She suspected this time was no different. Deciding it would be best to change the subject, Gretchen interrupted the daydream Kathryn was currently experiencing.

"Well, my dear, if you're hungry there is food on the table.' Gretchen half expected Kathryn to decline the offer and request coffee as a substitute for an actual meal.

"Sounds wonderful. What are we having?" Kathryn said surprising her mother.

"I made your favorite fresh garden salad with finger sandwiches. And of course some freshly picked fruit." Gretchen always tried to throw as much nutritionally sound food items together whenever Kathryn agreed to eat. Kathryn's expression changed to something resembling a 4-year-old who had expected chocolate cake as a meal and was presented with broccoli. This prompted Gretchen to add, "And of course I brewed a fresh pot of coffee to wash it all down."

Kathryn perked up immediately and said, "Oh mom, you had me at fresh-brewed!" Both women laughed sincerely and headed into the kitchen arm-in-arm.

Sitting across from her mom, Kathryn couldn't help but notice how much her mom seemed to have aged over the past 7 or 8 years. Her hair was more grey, the lines on her face a little deeper and there definitely were more of them. Kathryn knew much of this was due to the worry her mom must have felt when Kathryn was missing in the Delta Quadrant.

"Your sister and I are going to try that new Italian restaurant on Mill Avenue. You should come with us, I'm sure they have wonderful coffee." Gretchen was obviously still concerned about Kathryn's spending so much time alone.

"Im sure they do mom, but I actually have plans tonight." Kathryn said.

"Im sorry Katie, but I don't really consider staying at home alone pouring over student essays a good way to spend a Saturday night." Gretchen's voice was becoming strained with emotion.

"First of all I don't spend my Saturday nights reading essays...well not ALL of them!" Kathryn had to admit. "But it just so happens," Kathryn continued, "that I have an old friend stopping by and we are having dinner...here."

"Who?" Was Gretchen's skeptical reply.

"Chakotay." Kathryn decided to be equally succinct.

"Really? I thought he was on some archeological dig somewhere, elbow deep in long dead civilizations." Gretchen could never understand why he and her daughter never pursued a relationship. They always seemed enraptured in each other's company. It was literally like no one else existed when they were both in the same room.

"Oh, mother. He feels very passionate about history," Kathryn started to feel a bit defensive.

"I'll tell you what he should be feeling passionate about , and that's YOU!" There, she said it, Gretchen knew she promised not to bring up this subject again, but she couldn't help herself. Not this time.

"Mother, I thought we agreed..." Kathryn began to protest.

"I know, I know. Not another word...I promise." Gretchen sighed and looked around the room before continuing, "I hope you're not cooking!" The look of pure panic on Gretchen's face elicited a joyful, unrestrained laugh from Kathryn. A response she rarely had these days. It felt good to laugh, and the two of them eventually settled back down to a jovial silence.

"What's the name of the Italian restaurant you two are going to again? Maybe I'll order some food and have it delivered before he gets here. I can pretend I made it." Kathryn asked.

"Better yet, you order it and when you set it out on the table, keep it all in its take-out containers so Chakotay doesn't have to fear food poisening." At this both women chuckled and finished their meals.


	2. Chapter 2

"Katie are you sure you're going to be ok? Your sister and I don't mind staying home if you need us." Gretchen called from the front door as she and Phoebe prepared to leave.

Kathryn rolled her eyes and smiled. She knew her mom just wanted to be the proverbial fly on the wall. Kathryn had shared with her mom the feelings she once felt for Chakotay. She told Gretchen about the time they had spent on New Earth. Kathryn also shared her heart wrenching decision to forego a relationship with the man she had grown to love, for the betterment of the ship, her crew and the mission to return home. Kathryn had always hoped that she and Chakotay would one day have an opportunity to explore a relationship upon return to the Alpha Quadrant. However, Kathryn knew that was not going to happen. Chakotay's heart had moved on, unable to wait for her any longer. She was heart broken when she learned of Chakotay's relationship with Seven of Nine but she wasn't angry. _How could she be angry?_ Kathryn would often think to herself. No one was perfect, no one would be able to put love on hold forever. She could never expect Chakotay to wait for her, indefinitely. In fact, they didn't know if that time would ever come, at any given moment they could have been killed, taken captive by dangerous Delta Quadrant locals or died of natural causes along their long journey home.

"Mom, just go. You and Phoebe have fun." Kathryn called down stairs to her mom and then added, "And don't come home too early, Chakotay and I have a lot of catching up to do." Hopeful that Gretchen would dwell on that all through dinner.

With that, Gretchen and Phoebe left to enjoy a wonderful Italian dinner, and most likely, a very long gossip session about Kathryn's love life.

Kathryn stood in front of her bathroom mirror looking at herself. She had already put on her nicest outfit, just the right amount of makeup and combed her hair. Normally, she would have been satisfied with the effort alone. Kathryn rarely put an extraordinary amount of time into her appearance, relying on general good genes to look attractive. After being in the Delta Quadrant for 7 long years, never knowing which day was going to be her last, Kathryn had adopted a "wash-n-wear" attitude. Function over fashion was more important, and makeup never helped stop an enemy attack, so she never bothered to put it on. Today was different and she wasn't entirely sure as to why she felt that way. As she examined herself more closely, Kathryn was disappointed to notice that the lines around her eyes had multiplied. Her hair seemed to have a touch of grey that had gone unnoticed. She definitely looked more tired then she actually felt, and that worried her. Just as Kathryn was beginning to debate which hair color shade she was going to replicate and apply at this very instant, the doorbell chimed.

"Ding...Ding.." Kathryn nearly jumped. She had been totally self absorbed and completely lost track of time. Kathryn glanced down at her watch and realized it was exactly 1800hrs.

"Exactly on time." Kathryn murmured to herself as she reluctantly left the bathroom to answer the door. She was not entirely convinced she was presentable after taking that long hard look at herself in the mirror. Realizing there was absolutely nothing she could do about it at this point, she shook her insecurities and headed for the front door.

As Kathryn reached the front door, she had a momentary panicked feeling was over her body. She realized that tonight was the night she wanted to let Chakotay know she had feelings for him. Kathryn was not entirely sure how Chakotay felt about her after all the years of unacknowledged feelings. But if there was any sign he still cared for her, deeply cared for her, in that "Angry warrior" way he so eloquently expressed to her on New Earth, she was going to seize the opportunity.

Kathryn realized she had paused at the front door long enough. She took two deep, calming breaths, a opened the door. Standing before her was the man she had grown to love aboard Voyager. Kathryn didn't always realize her feelings for him, almost never acted upon them, yet she always knew she had them.

"Kathryn?" Kathryn realized Chakotay was looking at her with a curious expression and she realized she hadn't been breathing, talking, moving or doing anything that a normal rational person would be doing. Letting out the breath she had been unconsciously holding, she smiled and said:

"Chakotay, it is so great to see you." Kathryn backed up and made a sweeping motion with her arm and then added, "Come in, dinner is on the table."

Chakotay stepped through the door and into Kathryn's heart. They looked at each other for what seemed like an awkward minute or two in complete silence when finally Chakotay spoke.

"Kathryn. You look...amazing. I feel like I could have maybe spent some more time getting ready if I knew you had went to so much trouble."

"Don't be silly. You look great yourself. Now get over here and give me a hug. It's been too long since I've seen you face to face." Kathryn opened her arms wide.

The two long time friends embraced each other with calm and deeply felt love. In fact, it felt so comfortable to Kathryn, she was ready to forego dinner altogether and stay just as they were until her mother came home.

Reluctantly they broke the embrace. Chakotay released Kathryn and took a step back. Kathryn noticed a strange expression on his face. She couldn't quite place it. Had she gone too far? Certainly not, a hug is just a hug. One they shared on many occasions in the past. _Maybe he had something on his mind_, Kathryn thought to herself. She hoped to get answers over a nice Italian dinner and a bottle, or two, of wine.

"Kathryn, I'm so hungry and the food smells wonderful. Shall we eat?" Chakotay suggested.

"Absolutely! Come with me." Kathryn took Chakotay by the hand and lead him into the dining area where she had strategically placed all the food, still in the take-out containers, on the table. Kathryn looked up at Chakotay and saw the smile cross his face as the realization came to him that Kathryn indeed ordered dinner rather then prepared it herself.

After two full hours of eating, laughing and sharing stories about the past, Kathryn realized Chakotay's wine glass had been empty entirely too long.

"Another glass of wine?" Kathryn inquired.

"If I didn't know better, I would think you were trying to get me drunk." Chakotay smiled his mischievously dimpled smile.

"Would I do that?" Kathryn said coyly.

"I believe you would my friend, I believe you would." Chakotay held up his glass for a refill.

As Kathryn poured him the last of the wine, she couldn't help but be mindful of the fact that he kept referring to her as his friend. Friends. Not what she was hoping for, but definitely not a bad sign...yet.

The conversation between Kathryn and Chakotay had been easy from the start. It flowed between them as if they belonged together, as if they had never been apart, as if they...as if they were still aboard Voyager. An ache filled Kathryn's belly, the food and alcohol consumed turned to stone. She realized she longed to be back on that ship, living side by side with her extended family, the family she made aboard Voyager.

"What is it Kathryn? You have that look you get sometimes." Worry crossed Chakotay's face as he looked at his former captain.

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. I often think about what it was like on Voyager. I truly miss it." Kathryn's voice became soft and caught on the words as they left her heart.

"There are certain things I miss too. But think about it. We are not being hunted by the Hirogen. We are not being chased by the Vidiians or the Kazon. The Borg aren't trying to assimilate us and species 8472 are not attempting to trick us into anything." He paused to catch his breath before continuing. "Living day to day was extremely difficult and that's why you worked so hard and sacrificed...sacrificed EVERYTHING to get us all home!" Chakotay looked away as his emotions continued to rise, slightly out of control.

"You are absolutely right. What would I ever have done without you all those years?" Kathryn leaned into Chakotay and put her head on his shoulder.

"You would have found a way to get whatever you wanted done. That's how it is with you. You can do anything you set your mind to." Chakotay wrapped his arm around Kathryn and gave her a light squeeze.

"Actually there are some things I wish I could do and, well, I just have never had the guts to do it, say it." Kathryn's voice became deep with breathy emotion. Kathryn hoped Chakotay would pick up on her line of thought and help the conversation steer in the same direction she wanted it to go. She needed him to help her come clean with all her emotions and feelings about Chakotay and the life she wanted to have with him. Much to her chagrin, Chakotay didn't appear to have a clue to what she was referring.

"Kathryn, I have full faith that whatever it is that you are referring to, you will make it happen. Someway, somehow, you will accomplish whatever you set your mind to." Chakotay smiled at her and got up from the table. He brought his dishes back into the kitchen, disappearing around the corner of the dinning area. A few minutes passed and he didn't return. Kathryn decided to go and see what was taking him so long.

As she rounded the corner, Kathryn stopped dead in her tracks. In front of her stood Chakotay. He was leaning against the dark granite countertop by the kitchen sink, with both arms. He stood there, motionless, his head was obscured from view by a low hanging cabinet. Worried about him, Kathryn cleared her throat so her presence would be known before she said,

"Chakotay? Are you alright?"

Chakotay looked up in her direction. His eyes were filled with a tearful, yet somehow, unreadable emotion. Unbeknownst to Kathryn, Chakotay had come with a ring in his pocket. He wanted nothing in this world more then to ask for her hand in marriage. He longed for her to become his wife. Chakotay silently chastised himself for being a coward. He knew deep in his bones he loved her more then he even loved himself. He couldn't live without her, and yet he feared her rejection. Actually he feared what her rejection would mean. If Kathryn said no to him, there would be no other chances, no other opportunities or hope that things or feelings would change. He knew he needed to ask her. He knew he would never feel complete without her by his side. However, Chakotay had one last assignment for work and it was a dangerous one. He decided he would wait until he came back from the assignment. Chakotay was determined that if he made it back safely from his assignment, there would be nothing that would keep him from her, nothing would stand in his way.

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just thinking about work. I have one last archeological dig." Chakotay said, picking his words so as not to lie.

"That's great! You are the best man for the job."

"Actually, its not an ideal assignment." Chakotay looked down at the tiled kitchen floor.

"Oh? How come?" Kathryn had picked up on the trepidation in Chakotay's voice.

"It's in the Dorian Sector."

"The Dorian Triangle?" Kathryn's stomach lurched.

The Dorian Triangle was a region of space that had a fabled history of causing ships to vanish. The area was covered in gravitational distortions and subspace anomalies that wreaked havoc upon ship's sensors. In fact, gravity was so distorted by the combination of stars, planets black-holes and clouds of gas and plasma that covered the area, that visual inspection of the area was the only way to navigate safely through. Even visual navigation was dangerous and had it's own set of limitations.

"It's only a 2-week assignment and then I'll be back. I expect that you will have me over for dinner again?" Chakotay was already planning what to do next.

"Of course."

"Good, because when I get back I have something very important I need to discuss with you." Chakotay said.

"What about?" Kathryn asked

"You'l have to wait and see." He teased, "It's my way of securing another dinner invitation."

Kathryn was battling between attempting to order him to stay home and wishing him a safe trip. Ultimately, she knew she had to ability to pull rank since Chakotay was no longer in Starfleet.

"Well, you had better be careful. I don't want to plan this dinner and you not show up." Kathryn teased half heartedly, trying to obscure her true feelings.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. Trust me." Chakotay took both of her hand into his and pulled her into a hug. He then kissed her gently on the forehead. It may have just been dry in the room, but Kathryn definitely felt a spark when his lips touched her skin.

"Ok, wait here." Kathryn stepped out of his embrace

"Where are you going?"

"I have something for you to take with you." Kathryn rushed into the den and pulled out a sheet of paper. On it, she wrote a very personal not to Chakotay. She folded it into thirds and sealed it into a small envelope.

"Here take this. BUT, do NOT open it until you are on the dig site...Promise me!" Kathryn looked straight into Chakotay's eyes, sending him a message he knew she meant.

"Absolutely. I promise." With that, he folded the envelope and put it into his jacket's inside pocket.

"When do you leave? Will you have a chance to meet me for another meal before you go?" Kathryn inquired.

"I leave tomorrow morning actually." Glancing down at his watch, he added, "Which is in a few hours. I should get going."

"Yes you should. You need to pack I bet, and you need to be well rested if you're going to be in that region of space." Kathryn patted Chakotay on the chest, right where he put the letter.

"Let's plan on meeting back here in exactly 1 month. Same time? 1800hrs again?" Chakotay suggested.

"I'll be waiting. Maybe this time I'll cook...never mind, you'd never come back with motivation like that!" They both started laughing.

After another long embrace at the door, Chakotay left to get ready for his trip, leaving Kathryn home to worry about her best friend, the one person in her life she truly trusted. Kathryn couldn't imagine her life without him in it.

**The Following Morning**

Chakotay stood motionless in front of the transporter station near his home. He knew he needed to get in there and set the coordinates to San Francisco so he could meet up with his archeological assistant. He glanced down at his watch. It read exactly 504hrs; exactly 4 minutes after the time he was supposed to already be there. Chakotay couldn't shake the feeling that he shouldn't go on this assignment, in fact he had the overwhelming desire to not only turn around right now and call Kathryn to make breakfast plans, but to resign his commission as Chief Archeological Scientist at the University of San Francisco altogether.

Indecisiveness was never a quality that plagued Chakotay in the past, and he knew it. Something was bothering him and quite frankly, he didn't have time to figure out what it was; he needed to hurry and get this mission over with so he could move on to bigger and better things. A smile crossed Chakotay's lips as he remembered the envelope Kathryn had handed him just before he left her home to previous evening. He unconsciously reached up to his inside jacket pocket and took out he envelope. Unfolding it, he slowly turned the white paper over to see his name scrawled across the front of it, in Kathryn's handwriting. He wanted to open it. He had this sudden NEED to open it. What had been so important that she had to give it to him just before her left? Why couldn't she tell it to his face? However, a promise was a promise and he knew if he read it now, Kathryn would somehow find out and that wouldn't be good for anyone. Shaking his head with laughter in his heart, Chakotay refolded the envelope and placed it back into his jacket pocket. He made a mental note, that the absolute first thing he was going to do upon landing was open that letter and read it.

With a new sense of eagerness, and newly found urgency, Chakotay hurried into the transporter station and set his coordinates for the San Francisco University. He was excited to start this, what could be, his last mission. Chakotay now knew what he wanted. He wanted nothing more then to retire, settle down and enjoy the company of family and friends. One "friend" in particular came to mind, and Chakotay smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

As Chakotay materialized at the meeting site, he was greeted warmly by his assistant on the dig, Holly. Holly was a graduate student at San Francisco University. She was studying to get her doctorate in Ancient Non-Terrain Civilizations. Holly has signed up to be professor Chakotay's summer assistant so she could get research credits. She also, as Chakotay had discovered upon meeting her, that she was socially awkward and worked through her summers as a way to keep her mind off her lack of a social life.

"Im so glad you're here professor! You're nearly 11 minutes late and I thought I was going to..." Holly began to spill forth with her usual verbal diarrhea.

"Not to worry, Holly. I simply, well, had other things on my mind and lost track of time." Chakotay smiled at his already frazzled assistant.

"Oh, ok. Well...um...now that you're here we need to go over our final boarding checklist and supplies manifest." Holly said.

"Actually, I took a look at it last night and everything appears to be in order. I say we get aboard the ship and get a move-on." Chakotay hoped that Holly would be able to calm herself sooner then later. They had a week-long trip at maximum warp to reach their destination and he didn't want to be forced to lock himself away to escape her constant jittery banter.

Chakotay and Holly both entered the small spacecraft and prepared for take-off. They were leaving from San Francisco University's Astrological Studies Campus launch site.

"All clear professor. Everything checks out and we are ready for take-off." Holly announced.

"Thank you, Holly. Engage planet-side thrusters. Move slowly as we clear the tree line. Once we have reached 8 kilometers, engage the main thrusters and take us straight into orbit." Chakotay calmly stated.

Ten minutes of vocal silence passed. The sounds of computers processing commands, coordinates being laid-in and the whir of the ventilation system was all that could be heard until Holly asked,

"Sir, the Phoenix is in orbit. Should I set course for the Dorian System?"

"Yes, maximum warp. I'd like to get there as soon as possible so we can get back to Earth. I have a lot I'd like to get done before the next school year starts." Replied Chakotay.

"Professor, sir?" Holly asked. She sounded concerned about something.

"Yes?" Chakotay looked at Holly, his eyebrows raised in question.

"I'm a little bit concerned about the dig on the planet."

"In what way?" He asked his assistant.

"Well, not so much concerned about the actual dig, but..." Holly began but stopped, unsure if she should continue.

"Go on, tell me what's on your mind. It's just the two of us, if you have concerns, now would be the time to voice them." Chakotay urged her to explain her feelings.

"I'm concerned about the region of space. The Dorian system has few populated planets and it has the reputation of danger. Rumors have circulated around the system for centuries. I'm sure you've heard of the Dorian Triangle! My goodness, it has swallowed up more ships and crews then any other..." The verbal diarrhea was in full force once again.

"Holly...Holly." Chakotay attempted to get a word into the conversation. "Holly! Your concerns are valid and yes, I've heard the rumors. However, I have seen no scientific fact or reason to believe we will be in any danger. The planet we are headed for is only about one fourth the way into this "triangle" everyone refers to. But, if you'd rather not go, I'm not going to hold it against you." Chakotay spoke the truth. He wouldn't hold it against her. He would love nothing more then to just call up Kathryn Janeway and tell her he is coming back over for dinner. Chakotay also knew and understood the region of space they were headed to, indeed had a bad reputation for swallowing up ships and crews and never giving them back. However, like he told Holly, there was no significant reason to believe they were going to have any problems.

"I guess you're right sir." Holly said, but still didn't sound fully convinced.

"Please call me Chakotay. We are going to be the only two people around for a month, and I tire of titles." Chakotay wasn't sure Holly had it in her to change.

"Ok, sir." Holly looked away, realizing she messed up already. She wasn't able to bring about the desired change, at this time, that Chakotay had requested.

Chakotay smiled and got up from his Captain's chair. They were underway and he wanted to start this trip off with some much needed meditation. As Chakotay left the cockpit of the small spacecraft, Holly thought it was the perfect time to get back to work on one of her school research projects.

Holly had been pleasantly surprised when she asked Chakotay, before they left Earth, to provide a blood sample. She smiled to herself when she thought back to that very moment. The total look of surprise on his face. Of course, Holly knew that if she had only prefaced her request of "Professor Chakotay, can I have some of your blood?" with a quick explanation of her project, she wouldn't have gotten such a bewildered reaction. Needless to say, Chakotay had requested more information from Holly. She proceeded to explain that she would extract 2 vials of his blood and replicate more of it as needed. She planned to have up to 3 liters of his blood so she could run some preliminary tests and experiment in the ancient gene mapping technology she was researching.

Holly successfully replicated the 3 liters she needed to run her experiments when she heard Chakotay approach from behind her makeshift laboratory. Feeling uncomfortable proceeding, Holly decided to set it all aside for the time being. Something about working with someone else's blood, genes, DNA and molecular components seemed way too personal to have its owner watch.

"Was that the research you were telling me about?" Chakotay asked.

"It is." Holly answered, eager to change the subject but unable to come up with a viable alternative.

"You don't have to stop on my account. Actually, I think it sounds fascinating." Chakotay really wanted to be encouraging. He knew she was extremely bright and had a huge future ahead of her, but her social skills left much to be desired. Chakotay's mind drifted to Seven of Nine. Holly had a lot in common with Seven. Both women were brilliant, possibly years ahead of their time scientifically, yet had the social skills of a warthog.

"That's OK. I finished all that I needed to get done for one day." Holly blurted out while desperately trying to sound convincing. Not wanting to put her any further on edge, Chakotay simply smiled and headed back up front to the cockpit. After a few short minutes, Holly slunk into her copilot's chair and nervously crossed her legs and kicked her foot back and forth. Finally, unable to endure the silence between them, Holly asked Chakotay,

"You think I'm a freak, don't you?"

"I think you put a lot of pressure on yourself and you tend to be nervous...all the time." Chakotay replied.

"I think that's your 'professor' way of saying I'm a freak." Holly emphasized the word professor using air-quotes.

"If I'm to be completely honest with you, Holly, then I would have to say I'm concerned about you, concerned for you."

"What do you mean? How come?"

"I never see you with any friends. We have known each other quite some time now, and you never once mention a family, boyfriend or even a pet rock!" Chakotay hoped he hadn't been too blunt with his young assistant.

"I have friends...well...a friend would be more accurate, but he's a friend nonetheless. As for family, you're absolutely right. I don't have any. I was raised by a distant cousin after my parents died in an accident. I was too young to even remember them, but what I do remember was wishing they had been around to raise me and take me away from the horrible people STUCK with me." Holly looked away, as the images of her childhood flashed in her mind.

"They weren't 'stuck' with you, I'm sure they..."

"Oh no! They were stuck, believe me. No one knew it or was reminded of it more then I was; daily in fact. Oh and I have plenty of Rocks! Just haven't turned them into pets yet." There were tears in her eyes. Holly finally looked up at Chakotay as two small streams of tears flowed down her reddened cheeks.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought up such an upsetting situation. It's just that I really had no idea it was that bad and I'd hoped if you talked about it, you'd be able to get past all of it." Chakotay reached out and put his hand on her's, and with the reassurance he hoped to give her, he squeezed it gently and said, "You are bright, beautiful and genuinely a nice person. I'm happy, no make that honored, to call you my friend."

There were a few moments of silence while his words processed through Holly's brain and took root in her heart. When the realization, that she finally made a genuine friendship with someone she admired and enjoyed to be around, her head snapped up in Chakotay's direction. The previous pitiful and downward spiraling look of despair had been replaced with one of pure joy and happiness. Unsure of how to respond appropriately, Holly reached over and gave Chakotay a great big hug and said,

"Ditto"

The two new friends sat back in their chairs and had a hearty laugh together. _Maybe this trip was going to be worth if after all_, Chakotay thought to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**6 Days later**

"We have arrived in the Dorian Sector." Holly began. "Everything appears to be normal." A hint of apprehension crept into her voice.

"Good. Have you located the planet?" Chakotay asked.

"There are a variety of interference at work, but I believe I have located the planet. It is approximately 1000 kilometers off the port bow."

"What? Only a 1000 kilometers? We're basically on top of it!" Chakotay was surprised they hadn't seen it before then.

"The gravitational shearing combined with the thick levels of plasma from the nearby nebula have not only blinded our instruments but have actually changed what we can physically see from our position." Fear was evident in her tone.

"This will make landing a challenge, one we're up for, I think." Chakotay hoped he sounded confident and reassuring.

"How exactly do you want to proceed here sir?" Holly obviously wanted to be brought through this situation with her hand being held, and Chakotay was just fine with that. There was no sense in taking risks if there wasn't a need to do so.

"Program into the computer the location of the planet, including how far it is from our position. I have a feeling, once we enter the planet's atmosphere, we should have less interference from the plasma and the close proximity to the planet's gravitational field should regulate our computer's sensors."

"Programming complete sir." Holly stated.

"Take us in...slowly. Monitor all systems and prepare to abort landing if something drastic happens." A hint of the good old days aboard Voyager was creeping back into his mind and heart. That constant threat of the unknown, the hidden dangers on unfamiliar planets. Chakotay hadn't known he missed it until this very moment. He made a mental note to talk to Kathryn about taking some adventurous vacations with him once he got back to Earth.

"Sir?" Holly sounded small. "Sir!" Yelling to be heard over an intense and unexpected hum.

"Holly, we are being pulled off course. Correct our trajectory to match a standard beta-Grahm pattern. The varying angle of descent may help us slide through the changing levels of sheer as we descend." Chakotay shouted to be heard over the intensifying hum and screaming sound of alarms and klaxons warning of various pending catastrophic failures. He frantically calculated and input alternate landing sequences, in an attempt to have a back up plan should something go horribly wrong.

"Its not working sir. If I'm reading this right we are nearly 5,000 kilometers off course and moving fast. The distortions are getting worse sir, should we abort?" Desperation evident in Holly's voice brought sympathy from Chakotay, however he wasn't quite ready to give up and go home." Ckakotay had an idea but he wasn't entirely sure it would work.

"Holly, the gravitational sheer is telling the computer we are moving in a linear motion in a given direction, as we move through that level of sheer, the same forces appear to be giving the computer the impression we are moving in the opposite direction. Its unlikely that these readings are right because the forces of directional change at those speeds would have begun to weaken our structural integrity. Are you following me?" Chakotay wasn't sure he expected an answer.

"I get what your saying, professor, but I'm not sure what you want us to do about it." Holly was definitely stressed and wanted to go home.

"If we estimate how many levels of sheer before we get to the planet's surface, or at least into the planets stable gravity field, we can program the changes in gravitational direction so when we enter the field the computer will automatically adjust its sensors. This will allow us to remain on course." Chakotay knew this would work, his sense of excitement grew with each passing minute.

"Alright, directional changes have been programmed. Beginning descent." Holly yelled over the increasingly loud humming noise which appeared to be emanating from the structural components of the ship itself.

"5,000 kilometers sir!" Holly shouted.

"Keep us steady, Holly!"

"4,000 kilometers...3,000...2,000..."

Klaxons screamed throughout the ship. Illumination immediately changed from full to 1/2 with red hues.

"Structural integrity down 80%." Stated the ever-calm computer voice.

"What's happening?" Holly sreamed.

"The ship is being torn apart! Abort landing, pull up! Get us out of here, NOW!" Chakotay shouted to be heard.

"Too late, the ship's falling apart!" Holly was frantic.

"Get to the escape pod...Now!" Chakotay grabbed Holly by the collar and literally yanked her off her seat. The two ran to the escape pod with very little time remaining.

As they ran, Chakotay lost his grip on Holly's collar. She fell hard onto the deck plating. There was no time for falling. Chakotay looked back to see Holly struggle to regain her footing, the severe vibrations continued to worsen. Nearby, conduits exploded, showering Chakotay with bits of searing hot shards of metal that burned through his clothing with devastating effects on his flesh. There was no time for pain. He ran to Holly, lifted her up onto her feet.

"We have to run!" Chakotay spat out at her.

"I can't. I can't..." Holly cried.

Chakotay grabbed her hard and began to run toward the escape pod at the end of the corridor. Loud screams of metal being stretched and pulled from its mountings could be heard all around them. The shear anger of the forces tearing the ship apart were like a shark feeding frenzy. There was no order, no predictable movements. Chaos was all around them. Chakotay turned back just in time to see a piece of the ship's hull tear away from the ship. Almost instantaneously, the ship's forcefield plugged the gaping hole. However, Chakotay knew that wasn't going to last. The forcefield appeared more like static then a solid field and it spurted in and out as the air rushed, stopped and rushed again toward the opening that shouldn't be there.

Just 20 more steps and they would be to the pod. They ran. 15 steps to go...10. Just as Chakotay thought they were going to make it to safety, the ship lurched; lurched hard. Chakotay felt himself being thrown up into the air. His head slammed into the bulkhead above him. That's when he felt something inside of him break. He was unable to take a full breath. That's when he realized he wasn't going to make it. He couldn't breathe let alone take another step. He slammed face down onto the deck plating, the skin covering his face split with the impact. The hot metal plating seared his flesh, he could feel himself stick to the metal grate he found himself laying on. The only sounds he could hear were of Holly frantically screaming his name, pulling at him to get up. That's when the worst sound of all came to him. It was the sound of the ship exploding. The rumble started deep within the ship and quickly spread in their direction.

Everything appeared to be in slow motion, sounds blurred together as his vision also blurred. Chakotay felt his body float upward toward the ceiling as his world dissolved around him. Unable to breathe, or move, his vision slowly dimmed. Chakotay's world darkened, he knew he was about to die. His last thoughts drifted to the one thing he cared about. His mind became filled with visions of Kathryn. She was smiling her brilliantly bright smile he had grown to love. This usually brought him such peace, but knowing he would never see her again he felt a gut wrenching sadness. How could life be so unjust. He wanted nothing more then to hold her in his arms one last time. To smell her sweet scented hair, to hear her voice say his name one last time. He could feel a guttural scream with years of pent up emotion tearing through his body...then nothing at all. Chakotay's world went black.


	5. Chapter 5

Complete and utter darkness surrounded her. The smell of burned flesh was thick in the air. The unmistakable smell of death, mixed with blood and gore, was the only hint of what had just happened. She began flailing around in her blinded state; unable to move without tripping over the unseen carnage that lay before her. The fear of the unknown kept her rooted in this pitch black prison.

From deep within her, she felt the beginnings of panic. The mental and physical chaos roared within her and threatened to expand; possibly take over the las of her self control. That's when it hit her like a phase-rifle; she could hear something, something horrible. At first it sounded far away from where she stood, but quickly washed over her like a tidal wave. It was the blood chilling sound of a survivor.

She was not alone in this...place. Part of her wanted...needed to find the source of the screaming. She desperately wanted to be near someone, anyone so she would no longer be left alone to face these insurmountable fears. She turned her head in an attempt to locate the source of the sound, only to realize it was coming from all around her. _How in the hell could that be possible_, she thought to herself.

She could tell that the screaming was coming from a male voice. His agony was evident. His pain could be felt in the sound of his voice. The screams however began to change, once incoherent and guttural, now pitiful and small.

"Hello? Where are you? Can you see me?" She was unsure if she was actually speaking, or just thinking the words.

She decided she was going to have to move, she needed to help the pitiful soul that cried out for help. She dropped to her hands and knees, and began crawling over burned and crumpled pieces of metal. She could feel small pieces of wreckage pierce her flesh as she made her way around inside the blackness. The sounds of sobs continued to become clearer as she made her way closer to the victim. Spurred on my her progress she reached out and felt what appeared to be an arm, or leg of the person who called out for help. She felt around on the floor amongst the rubble and as luck would have it, stumbled upon an illumination stick. She grasped the stick firmly with both hands and cracked it, illumination quickly filled the area in which she was located.

Her entire life force bled away from her mind as she took in the utter devastation of her surroundings. Nothing, however, compared to the man who laid before her. The man that laid before her was unrecognizable, he was covered in blood and charred flesh. Both of his legs were bent at inhuman angles, and one side of his face appeared to have melted. She reached out with a shaky hand and tenderly rolled the man's head toward her so she could see the unburned half. As she did, the man's eye opened and looked at her. They were filled with sadness at first, but within mere moments a clarity prevailed as he uttered her name.

"Kathryn..." he moaned.

Her heart began to pound. She began to feel overwhelmed with emotion as she came to realize who this man was.

"Chakotay?" Kathryn asked, stunned.

"Come close...I must tell you...not much time." Chakotay struggled to speak.

"No, you'll be alright. I'm here. I can get you home and the Doctor...He can fix anything...you know him, he won't stop 'till." she began to cry.

"No. You have to hear me..." Chakotay began, but was ravaged by a series of intense coughs that ended with blood hemorrhaging from his nose. She pulled him close, placed his head in her lap in an attempt to elevate his head to keep him from drowning in his own fluids.

"What's so important you'd rather die then not say?" Kathryn asked.

"I...I love you." Chakotay exhaled his final breath.

Kathryn sat straight up in her bed. She was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. Heart racing and head spinning, Kathryn jumped out of bed and flipped on a light near her bed.

"What a horrible dream." Kathryn said aloud to herself.

She sat at the end of her bed, leaned forward with her head in her hands. Her heart rate and breathing slowly but steadily slowed to within normal ranges, but she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Kathryn walked over to the computer and turned it on. As it roared to life, the date and time shown in the top right corner. What was it about that date? Something was important about it but, Kathryn couldn't quite put her finger on it. That's when it hit her, today was the day Chakotay should have arrived in the Dorian System and landed on the planet. Silently shaking her head, Kathryn chastised herself for being such a worrier. She guessed she would never get over worrying about her crew, her former crew, especially when they were going on potentially dangerous away-missions without her. Again, Kathryn knew she wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep so decided to get the day started early with a large pot of coffee.

Three weeks later, after that nightmare became just a distant memory, Kathryn busied herself around the house. She wanted the house to be spotless for when Chakotay arrived. She knew it wouldn't matter to him how clean anything was, but it mattered to her.

After she finished everything she set out to accomplish for that day, she realized she had not yet prepared the meal. The restaurant had already delivered the main course, but she wanted to be the one who made the dessert from scratch.

Ding...

The oven indicated that the coffee cake was ready and, Kathryn hurried over to take it out before it burned. As she was removing it, the doorbell rang. She looked at the clock on the wall, Kathryn was surprised Chakotay was over an hour early. Excited to see her best friend again, Kathryn rushed to the front door and happily opened it wide.

"You are earl..." Kathryn began before realizing it wasn't Chakotay. She wasn't sure who these two very official looking men were, but she didn't like the looks of them. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't expecting you. Can I help you gentlemen with something?"

"We are looking for a Kathryn Janeway. Is that you ma'am?" The man standing closest to her asked.

"Yes that's me. What is it you want exactly?" her uneasiness grew. Kathryn could feel her heart rate increase rapidly.

"You are the emergency contact person for Chakotay, Son of Kolopak." The man began to say.

Kathryn did not want to hear this. This couldn't be good news. What had happened? Did Chakotay...?

"Ma'am, we regret to inform you, there has been an accident. Mr. Chakotay's spacecraft went missing 3 weeks ago and he has not been heard from since arriving in the Dorian Sector." The man told her matter-of-factly.

"I don't understand, have you went in search for him?" Kathryn was having trouble breathing. The room was beginning to tilt to one side.

"Yes. A search craft was dispatched immediately. As you may be aware, that region of space is dangerous and very difficult to conduct a search and rescue mission. Computer systems are barely effective to say the least."

"What did you find?" Kathryn asked.

"We located his last known coordinates and came across a debris field." He stated flatly.

"That could be from any number of ships sir!" Kathryn demanded.

"We wholeheartedly agree. That is why we harvested approximately three tons of the debris to process and identify its origins." the man responded to her tone with an infuriating calmness.

"And?" Kathryn asked.

"The materials are all consistent with the ship Chakotay took to the Dorian Sector."

"But he might still be alive. Have you checked the planet?" Kathryn desperately held onto hope that her best friend was alive, somewhere, just waiting to be found.

"We have conducted a number of tests Ma'am. We scanned the materials that we pulled from the wreckage and there was a significant amount of DNA evidence." the man said.

"Evidence of what?" Kathryn asked as if this was all absurd.

"Evidence that Chakotay did not survive the explosion. There was a significant amount of blood, in fact, enough blood to indicate a person could not have survived. A physical impossibility. I'm very sorry for your loss." With that, the man handed her the official report of the accident and a few of Chakotay's personal belongings from his office. The two men then turned around and left.

Kathryn couldn't believe what she had just heard. This could not be true. How could Chakotay survive everything he went through on a daily basis for 7 long years in the Delta Quadrant and then die like this? Day and night, constantly under attack, years without rest was unable to claim his life. She should have went with him, together this would not have happened. She would have rather had her blood mixed with his, scattered over the wreckage, then know he died apart from her.

Kathryn slumped to the floor in the doorway to her home, dropped what was in her arms and curled up into a ball while she wept bitterly.


	6. Chapter 6

Kathryn busied herself in the kitchen while the guests congregated in her living room after the funeral had ended. She worried that she would be unable to compose herself while crew member after crew member, friend after family said their goodbyes to Chakotay from the podium at the funeral home. Kathryn often became choked up during the ceremony, however she managed to contain her intense sadness out of a sense of honor; not for herself but for the memory of her best friend, Chakotay. She knew in her heart she was not going to be the same without him in her life. Kathryn knew she had no choice but to move on and continue to work, or she would surely die of a broken heart; a broken spirit. Kathryn wanted nothing more then, at this very moment, to run away...to anywhere that could take her mind off of her own misery. She knew she would never love again. At one time she had felt like she knew what it was to love and then lose that one you truly loved, but this was different. Kathryn had always managed to move on from those heartaches with relative ease. She always prided herself in the ability to compartmentalize her feelings and emotions. She had never felt such a loss, such sadness as she had these past few days. Kathryn could only compare this to the loss of her father, but somehow that didn't even compare to this feeling. She ached from the inside-out. Kathryn had this constant feeling of dread. It never left her except when she slept. She often would go to bed early in an effort to escape her feelings. She wanted to escape her new found prison of sadness through her dreams of a better time. Kathryn found that she often dreamt of Chakotay. She dreamt of the good times and the bad times they had together. It all boiled down to being a good dream, though, as long as it had Chakotay in it. Lately all of her dreams had him in them. Kathryn knew that at some point she was going to have to ask the Doctor for some advice. She knew that this perseveration on her friend could not be normal. She knew she was going to need some help; But she didn't want that help quite yet. Kathryn wanted to continue to feel him, hold him, talk to him and see him...even if it was just in her dreams.

"Captain?" Came a voice from behind her. Kathryn knew the sound of that voice. She had never heard that voice, however, so heavy with emotion and sadness.

"Now what have I told you about calling me captain, Seven?" Kathryn tried with all her might to bring some levity to this conversation.

"I know. Sorry. Kathryn. Are you alright?" Seven sounded as if she felt awkward using her former captain's given name.

"I am fine. Well...as good as can be expected." she amended her original reply because she knew Seven would continue the inquisition, and quite frankly, Kathryn didn't want to have to think of clever ways to avoid telling the truth. "How are you holding up? You and Chakotay had been...close at one time." Kathryn could barely get those last few words out without getting sick.

"To be honest, Kathryn...I have never felt these feelings before. At least not to this intensity. The doctor, as you know, has continued with his work in helping me regain my humanity and has deactivated the node responsible for keeping strongly felt emotions within tolerable levels." Seven attempted to explain she felt horrible about Chakotay's passing but had no real way of showing it. Kathryn understood what she was trying to tell her and responded:

"This is going to be a very difficult time for all of us. If at any time you want to talk to me about it...about your feelings, please contact me. We can even set up a regular time to get together to talk if you think that will help." Kathryn really didn't want to offer this last part, however she felt an obligation to her younger friend.

Kathryn knew Seven was having difficulty making friends since they have arrived back in the alpha quadrant, in fact she has had a difficult time with most things because of everyone's continued fear of the Borg. If only Seven had a more fluid personality, she could prove to everyone she was no longer a Borg drone. Hopefully, she and the doctor will have continued success with blocking her node and allowing her to feel what humans are meant to feel. However, Kathryn thought to herself, I would give anything to have a node of my own right now.

"There you are! I've been looking all over this place for you." B'Elanna came into the kitchen and looked from Kathryn to Seven.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all. we were just about to rejoin the gang out in the living room. I have a fresh pot of coffee brewing and my mother made these delicious scones." Kathryn held up the plate of scones for dramatic effect.

"They do look great." B'Elanna began. "Are you alright Kathryn? Im not too naive to think that you and Chakotay were strictly platonic friends. There was always something deeper with the two of you."

"We were friends B'Elanna." Kathryn stated succinctly.

"OK." B'Elanna knew when to keep her mouth shut.

"Now, lets go rejoin the group, shall we?" Kathryn took the plate of scones and walked past her two friends who were stuck starring at each other alone in the kitchen.

Kathryn walked out into the living room and put the plate of scones on the coffee table. She felt a tap on her shoulder and she straightened up and turned to see who was in need of her attention. What she saw broke her heart even further. There, standing before her, was little Naomi Wildman.

"Naomi, Its so good to see you." Kathryn stretched out both of her arms in front of her to give Naomi a hug.

Naomi ran the two steps into Kathryn's arms and hugged her back. Tears flowed down both of their cheeks. Kathryn had not wanted to cry, in fact she had strictly forbade herself from doing so. But once she saw Naomi and how much she was hurting she could no longer control her inner emotions. After a couple of minutes she let Naomi go from the embrace and sat her down on the couch next to her.

"Captain?" Naomi began to say but then looked down at her lap unwilling to continue.

"I know Naomi. Its hard on all of us. Chakotay was a very special person to each and everyone of us. He loved us just as we loved him." Kathryn found herself saying it not only for Naomi's well being but also her own.

"I know. I loved him like he was my own father. Or at least how I thought I could love a father. Neelix was very important to me also since I never really knew my real dad until we got back." Naomi was having a lot of difficulty understanding her feelings and what they all meant.

"You know that Chakotay will always be with you." she pointed to Naomi's heart. "As long as you never forget him, he will always have a place in your heart." Kathryn again fought back tears that were welling up and threatening to break loose.

"I loved being around him because he always made me feel safe. Did you know that whenever we met a scary group of people and had a fight with them, Chakotay would come and talk to me, and make sure I wasn't scared?"

"I didn't know that. What did you two talk about?" Kathryn asked.

Kathryn knew Chakotay was always trying to help out the crew and help them to deal with their fears. In fact, that's one of the things Kathryn loved about him. She herself always felt safe when she was near him. She always felt complete and felt that she belonged there...wherever 'there' was at the time.

Naomi reached into her pocket and pulled out a smooth polished stone. It appeared ordinary at first, but the more Kathryn looked at it, the more she realized it had rivers of colors just under the surface. It was breath-taking.

"Naomi! That is absolutely beautiful." Kathryn said sincerely.

"Chakotay gave it to me before we got home to the alpha quadrant. He said that if ever I felt sad or scared I was supposed to take this stone and carry it in my pocket. It would make me feel better because the person who gave it to me loved me and would always be there to protect me." Naomi's voice became high pitched as she tried not to cry. "But now everyone's saying that Chakotay died!"

Kathryn was a little taken aback by her wording. "Yes, Naomi. Chakotay did die in an accident. His ship could not handle the strange forces at work in the Dorian Triangle." Kathryn began. "Why? Do you not believe this to be the truth?"

"I don't know. I keep having dreams about him. They seem so real. Every time I wake up in the morning, I honestly believe he really didn't die. I know that sounds stupid." Naomi was looking at the floor. She was obviously feeling uncomfortable.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Kathryn waited until Naomi silently nodded her head. "I have been having dreams about Chakotay too. In fact, I have dreams about him every night. They do seem real to me too." Kathryn was a bit surprised she was sharing her inner feelings with a child...but, Naomi was mature for her age and was now quickly approaching teen-hood.

"Do you think he's dead, captain?" Naomi slowly looked up from her lap and stared directly at Kathryn.

Kathryn paused, looked down at her own lap and then back up at naomi. "I would love nothing more then for this to all be one big mistake. My heart, everything inside me is telling me that Chakotay is not dead...but the facts remain the same. His ship was destroyed, they found wreckage and his DNA was all over the debris field. There was no way anyone could have survived it." Kathryn felt sick to her stomach. She reached for Naomi's hand to give it a quick squeeze before she got up to leave. To Kathryn's surprise, Naomi grabbed Kathryn's hand and placed the stone in her palm and said:

"I think you might need this more then me." And with that Naomi got up, wiped the tears from her cheeks and went to find her friend Icheb.

Kathryn sat for a couple of minutes all alone on the couch looking at the stone. The longer she starred at it the more brilliant it appeared. It was as if the room around her began to disappear. Kathryn closed her eyes. From within the blackness of her own mind, one image appeared. It was of Chakotay. He was smiling at her. His dimples deep and his smile bright. Kathryn could barely keep from smiling right back at him even though she knew he wasn't really there.

"Kathryn? Are you alright?" Kathryn opened her eyes and looked up at the faces of Harry, B'Elanna, Tom, Seven and the Doctor. They all had this look on their face. This...'pitied' look.

"Im fine..." Kathryn gave them all a smile. It wasn't her best smile; in fact it could barely pass as a smile at all. But, she dared any one of them to challenge her on it. She may not be their captain but each and every one in this room today knew not to mess with her. "Now, how about we all get this...party...started? Chakotay would NOT want us all sitting around sad. He would want us to enjoy our precious time here together. We have all been so busy lately, we have not had any time for each other. Let's change that."

Kathryn knew she was changing the subject but she also knew she was right. Chakotay celebrated life. He would not want all of his friends, who were now his family, to be sad. He would want everyone to spend the evening reminiscing about the good times aboard voyager. That is exactly what she planned to do.

"Ok everyone! I need your attention please. I want no more tears unless they are tears of happiness. We are going to celebrate Chakotay's life, not mourn his death. I want everyone to stand up and say what Chakotay meant to you and how he affected your life. Then we can all eat and drink the rest of the night away." Kathryn had decided this was going to be a good evening, even if she had to make it one herself.

After everyone had finished telling their 'Chakotay stories' the crowd in the room had begun to thin. Tomorrow was a work day for most in attendance and Kathryn knew they were going to go home and get some rest. After everyone had left, Kathryn's mom came up from behind her and placed both hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"Kathryn, Im very proud of you. I know you and everyone in this room was very sad, but you managed to make it a fun and enjoyable evening for everyone. Chakotay would have been very pleased." Gretchen said.

"You are absolutely right, mom. He would have had such a great time if he had been here." Kathryn took a deep breath. "I so wish he had been here." Kathryn broke and began to cry.

Gretchen took her daughter into her arms and rocked her back and forth. Soothing her with her words. They remained locked in each other's embrace for a very long time. Eventually, Gretchen pulled away and placed her hands on either side of Kathryn's face and said:

"Honey, go upstairs and get ready for bed. I'll clean up this mess and be up to say goodnight."

"Mom, I can help..." Kathryn began before she realized her mother was not going to listen to her. Kathryn gave her mom a sad smile and went off to her room to get cleaned up for bed.

Twenty minutes later, Gretchen made he way to her daughter's bedroom and was pleased to find her curled up and asleep in her bed. There was a smile on Kathryn's face, and Gretchen knew she was dreaming of Chakotay.


	7. Chapter 7

Kathryn and Chakotay stared at one another in disbelief. Neither of them thought they would ever see the other again in this life. They stood 10 feet apart, so close, yet so far. Overwhelmed with emotion, Chakotay tried to speak, but silence won out. A single tear trickled down his cheek as he reached out his hands to Kathryn.

She, for her part, took the last remaining steps to where Chakotay stood. Standing toe to toe with her best friend was what she had hoped and prayed for, and now, it had come to be.

"Chakotay, I never thought I'd see you again. You're ship was destroyed, we thought you had died." Kathryn said.

"I'd never leave you, Kathryn. I..." Chakotay began as Kathryn reached out and wiped the tear from his cheek.

Instead of the comforting gesture Kathryn had intended, her touch was like fire. Pain seared through Chakotay like a phase-pistol set to kill. Chakotay screamed out in agony as his face began to burn. Kathryn was stunned, immobile for a split second before she rushed to his aid.

Kathryn attempted to lower him to the ground when even more screams of agony issued forth. Kathryn realized then, that as she touched him, Chakotay burned or broke under her light touch. What was happening? What was she supposed to do to help him? Chakotay was in obvious pain and Kathryn feared he may go into shock. She removed her jacket and placed it over his supine form. As she did, Chakotay screamed again and burst into flames.

"AARRHH!" Chakotay screamed. He sat straight up, writhing around in agony. Unable to breath, Chakotay was gasping for breath, sweat poured off him as if he had just stepped out of a shower.

"Easy sir. It's OK. You're fine. Lay back and rest. You need your strength to get better." Holly attempted to sooth Chakotay into relaxing.

"Wha..what happened?" Chakotay asked.

"I'll explain everything when you are well enough to comprehend it. Now lay down...please, sir." Holly pleaded with him.

Seriously injured and in no shape to argue, Chakotay laid back down, and within seconds, lost consciousness again. Holly hoped he would soon recover so he could stay lucid long enough to help her figure a way out of the mess they were in currently.

Once Holly was certain that Chakotay was again calmly sleeping, she got up and began breaking large, dried tree limbs. She wanted to make sure there was plenty of fuel for the fire that she had made. As long as she had fire, she felt a little bit safer. Holly knew that fire was her lifeline right now.

Holly had no idea what she was going to do. Chakotay had been in and out of consciousness for nearly 3 weeks and she was beginning to panic. She managed to keep him alive by reviving him long enough to eat and drink a little bit each day. As soon as he was done with each small meal his eyes would roll back into his head and he would again sleep. Chakotay slept 23 hours a day, every day for the past 3 weeks. Holly, for her part kept watch over his body, making sure that no indigenous critters attempted to feed off him, while he was unconscious. She also did her best to attempt repairs to the circuitry that was damaged during their crash landing. Holly was a biologist, an archeologist and a historian. What she was NOT, was an engineer or a body guard for that matter. Holly felt that she was running out of options and she was running out of ideas. That's when she heard Chakotay stirring in his sleep. This was a wonderful sign. Previously, he had shown no signs of moving or restlessness except when she would force him back to consciousness. Holly rushed over to Chakotay's side.

"Chakotay, can you hear me?" Holly said, while silently praying to herself that he would be able to answer her. She had not had a real conversation in weeks and she was starving for human contact.

"Kathryn? Kath..." Chakotay tried to ask, obviously disoriented.

"No, Chakotay. Its me, Holly. Im your student. We kind of... crashed." Holly was not sure how she was going to explain all this to Chakotay. A lot happened in a very short period of time and she knew she was going to have to tell him everything if he was going to figure out a way off this planet.

"We...WHAT?" Chakotay's concern brought him the rest of the way to consciousness.

"We crashed...here on this planet." Holly said.

Chakotay struggled to come to a sitting position but was unable to do so under his own power. Holly wrapped an arm around him and assisted him as he strained to sit. The position change caused Chakotay to become dizzy as his body was not prepared to have his brain higher then his heart. Willing himself to remain conscious, Chakotay stayed in a seated position and closed his eyes to counteract the spinning that went on around him. After a few minutes, Chakotay was able to open his eyes. His breathing returned to normal and he was evidently able to think clearly; for the first time in a long time.

"I think you need to start at the beginning. The last thing I remember was we were attempting to land on the planet Cazor, and there were sheering forces at work from alternating gravity levels. After that, I don't really remember anything." Chakotay struggled to remember but came up with nothing more.

"Well I'm glad you at least remember that much. You hit your head so hard I honestly wasn't sure you would remember your own name once you regained consciousness." Holly said.

"My mind is working pretty well I think right now. So, I think you should start from where my memory left off and go from there." Chakotay was not upset with Holly but he really wanted answers. A thought suddenly occurred to him. Kathryn was going to be waiting for him at her place. He was supposed to be back in one month's time. "How long has it been since we crashed?" Chakotay's concern was rising from within himself.

"Honestly, Its been three full weeks since we crashed here. Basically, we should have been home already." Holly replied downheartedly.

"Three weeks? There must be hundreds of people looking for us by now. I mean, we were supposed to already be home. We never checked in and someone would surely have thought to come and find us. If we never checked in with the university, they should have sent a search party, maybe two. It would have taken them 6-7 days to get to our location. I don't understand why no one has rescued us yet." Chakotay was getting more and more upset as their situation began to unfold before him. "Surely, they must have been able to locate the planet!"

"That's the thing sir. We are not on Cazor." Holly sounded small and unsure of herself.

"Well, Holly, I guess you better start at the beginning. I have a feeling Im going to need to hear every detail you can give me." Chakotay resigned himself to the fact this might take a while.

Holly got up from where she had been seated and got herself and Chakotay some water.

"Here, you might want to have some water while I try and explain all of this to you. You'll probably want something stronger by the time we're done." Holly tried to bring a bit of humor to her voice. Chakotay took the water from Holly. He took a long drink and then smiled.

"That hit the spot. Now, how about you get started. From the looks of things, its going to be night soon and Im already getting a bit tired." Chakotay said.

Holly told Chakotay to rest a few minutes while she got the fire started. She knew her story was long and involved and it would definitely be night before she was finished. The original fire had taken Holly days to get started, and she was not about to let this one die out before she placed more wood for it to burn.

It took Holly the better part of an hour to finish gathering the firewood, breaking it up into usable sized pieces and then placing them onto the fire itself. Chakotay was impressed. Holly had to learn a lot in a very short period of time in order for the two of them to have survived this long. Once she was done, Holly settled back down next to Chakotay as they both silently observed the campfire. The sounds of crackling wood, insects and the occasional woodland creature was all they could hear. Chakotay could tell, though, that Holly wanted to say something but wasn't yet ready.

"Sitting around the campfire like this, brings back a lot of memories from my youth. My father used to take me exploring into the wilderness as a boy to teach and train me in the ways of my ancestors." Chakotay broke the ice.

"Huh. Sounds awful. I mean, no offense, but I can't imagine WANTING to be stuck sitting by a fire with...well nothing to do." Holly said.

"Ha! Holly, you know I think you have a very interesting take on life. I've never really met anyone quite like you." Chakotay said with a chuckle.

"Im not sure, but I'll take that as a compliment."

"Yes, please do. Now, how about you fill me in on what happened to us." Chakotay wanted to get down to business.

"As you may remember, everything started as planned. We located the planet and attempted to land. We knew it was going to be risky, but we had no real reason to think we couldn't make it." Holly paused every couple of minutes to make sure that Chakotay was following what she was telling him. Holly continued. "The gravitational changes and directional patterns were unexpected and we were definitely ill prepared to handle the massive sheering forces we encountered. Our ship's systems began to fail as well as the structural integrity of the ship's outer hull. Fissures began to form all over the ship, in many areas simultaneously. The Phoenix's integrity forcefield attempted to patch the open areas to prevent loss of atmosphere and catastrophic implosion." Holly stopped and took a drink of water.

"Go on. What happened next?" Chakotay asked.

"As it became evident that we were not going to land safely, nor were we going to be able to save the ship, you ordered us both to the escape pod. We ran as fast as we could, only I fell." Holly again stopped talking. Chakotay gave her some time to compose herself before she continued. "You turned around and saw I had fallen. You rushed back to help me. The vibrations from the quickly disintegrating ship were becoming so strong, my legs were going numb and I could barely stand under my own power. We were only 10 or 15 feet from the escape pod, but it might as well have been a kilometer. You somehow managed to get me on my feet, only, within a few seconds the ship lurched hard toward port, and you were thrown upward into the bulkhead."

"I remember some of what you're telling me, but everything is missing between me coming back to help you and then waking up here on this planet. What happened next, after I hit my head?" Chakotay inquired.

"Well you did more then hit your head. In fact, you fractured two vertebrae, cracked your skull in three places, broke your right arm in multiple places and suffered burns and lacerations over many areas of your face, chest and back." Holly shook her head and smiled somberly. "But before I was able to ascertain any of that, I had to somehow get you into the escape pod. Chakotay, you are NOT a light man!" They both shared a quick laugh. "I had to drag your unconscious, broken and bleeding body across the grated metal floors of the corridor; I'd say almost 15 feet into the escape pod. All the while, the ship is literally falling apart around us. I was so scared I can't honestly tell you how I did it, but we made it." Holly sounded relieved all over again.

"Thank you." Chakotay wasn't entirely sure what else to say. "So then what happened? How did we make it here? Wherever 'here' is exactly?" Chakotay urged her to continue with her story.

"I dragged your lifeless body into the escape pod and shut the door, just as the corridor we were in exploded in fire. I wasn't exactly sure how to release the pod from the docking area, but apparently in the ship's programming, it automatically jettisons the pod as it's last 'act' before complete destruction. I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure where we are exactly. I can tell you that we were thrown into the nebula near Cazor. This planet is located inside that nebula. Obviously, we didn't know it was here, and I'm pretty sure no one else knows it is here either." Holly stated with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"I just have a couple more questions. Did you get a chance to see if anyone else inhabits this planet? I feel like I've been thrashed around by a mob of angry Klingons, but nothing liked you described as my injuries." Chakotay asked.

"I managed to use the escape pod's emergency med kit to help you. It had an osteo-regenerator and basic med supplies. It also, by some stroke of luck, had a tricorder. I was able to restore your vertebral column, skull and arm back to their original state. However, the med kit was not designed to help with such extensive injuries. I was forced to jury-rig the med kit's supplies with the pod's systems to eek out just enough power needed to complete that, plus regenerate most of your lacerations and burns." Holly stopped and took a look at Chakotay, with some sadness in her eyes.

She handed Chakotay a mirror. He took it and slowly began examining his face. He was surprised to see that he had scars on his neck, left lower portion of his jawline and mild cuts and bruises scattered from head to toe. The skin from his let jawline had literally started to melt down toward his clavicle. The right side of his face had a checkered appearance, apparently the pattern of the grated floor he landed on when he was knocked unconscious. Chakotay put the mirror down and looked again at Holly.

"I'm so sorry sir. I wasn't able to fix all your injuries. I really tried, but we used up the last of our power and pod's systems to take care of your life-threatening injuries." Holly looked away and appeared to be crying softly behind her hands that she pressed up against her own face.

"Holly. Please don't cry. I'm not upset with you. I was just surprised by my appearance. In fact, I'm very pleased, with all you WERE able to do. You saved my life." Chakotay reached out and took one of her hands into his. "I could never hope to repay you for all you have done. I'm very proud of you." Chakotay said soothingly.

"Really? I...I thought you'd be upset with me. I worried and secretly dreaded you seeing yourself. I tried so hard to fix everything, I'm just not good enough." Holly looked down at her lap.

"I don't ever want to hear you say that again. You saved me! Look at me, Holly. I tried to save you and what happened?" Chakotay asked.

"You almost died?" Holly said questioningly.

"That's right. I nearly died and yet we both lived and you managed to get us here, safe and relatively unharmed." Chakotay again realized something and he added, "You didn't happen to scan this planet to see if we were alone or not did you?"

"No." Holly answered.

"Well, I guess at first light, I'll take a look at the pod's systems and see what I can come up with. But until then, I want you to get some rest and be proud of yourself." Chakotay added and then the two of them drifted off to sleep.

"Chakotay!" Kathryn called. No response. "Chakotay? Where are you?" She tried again, but no response.

Kathryn started to worry. Chakotay and she always met by this very tree, in this very meadow every day around this time. Chakotay was always punctual and Kathryn decided something must be wrong. She needed to look for him; He may be in need of her assistance. Kathryn searched everywhere she could think of including the river, the shelter, the garden and the..._Oh wait_, she thought, the bathtub.

Kathryn picked up the front of her dress, high enough so she wouldn't trip, and ran for the far side of the shelter. Just past the tree line, Kathryn could see the bathtub that Chakotay constructed for her by hand. He was always putting her wants and needs before his own, and she was beginning to love him for it.

"Chakotay...there you are, I've been looking all over for you." Kathryn said as she approached the tub. She could see that Chakotay was sitting in the tub, with his back to her. "Is everything alright? We usually meet by the huge old tree in the meadow."

"I decided to shake things up a bit." Chakotay turned and looked toward Kathryn. He appeared as if he was going to get out of the tub when he suddenly slid to the other side so he was facing her head-on. "Care to join me?" Chakotay asked. He had a mischievous gleam in his eyes. His serious face broke into a grin that showed off his radiant smile and the dimples she found harder and harder to resist.

"In there?" Kathryn was still a bit surprised from what she was seeing and hearing.

"Of course in here. There's plenty of room. I'll even close my eyes while you...you know." Chakotay couldn't help but scan her up and down with his eyes, finally coming to rest upon her face.

"That won't be necessary, I have enough clothes on under my dress to remain decent." Kathryn was really beginning to enjoy this but didn't want to let on to that fact.

"Suit yourself. Let's just say, I'm...comfortable." Chakotay replied as he looked down at his submerged self.

With that, Kathryn took off her dress and got into the tub. They made small talk between them, much as they would have done under the shade of the old tree in the meadow. That's when everything began to change. Chakotay inched closer to Kathryn. The two of them silently observed each other, looking for 'that sign', whatever that was supposed to be. The sign that they were both on the same page and willing to do what was about to happen. Chakotay must have seen it, as he leaned in close to Kathryn. His face was mere inches from her own. He whispered to her in hushed tones,

"Kathryn, I'm in love with you." He looked directly into her eyes.

"I want to take this slowly, Chakotay." Kathryn was scared, truly and unequivocally torn between what her mind said was right, and what her heart said she desperately needed.

Chakotay crossed the remaining gap between them. Their lips touched for the first time. Kathryn could feel her heart race and her respiration increased dramatically as her body reacted to his. After a few frantic kisses, Kathryn broke away, unsure if she wanted to open her eyes.

"Kathryn?" Chakotay sounded torn between amusement by her closed eyes, and concern that some how he overstepped some imagined boundaries.

Kathryn's eyes flickered open. She wanted to look into his eyes and confess her love. She wanted to laugh out loud and cry at the same time. However, as her vision focused on Chakotay's face, an involuntary scream ripped through her mind and through the silence surrounding them both. Before her, Chakotay's face had literally transformed. He had cuts and bruises all over his body and it appeared like his face had begun to melt.

"Chakotay, your face!" Kathryn screamed.

Chakotay reached up and touched his face, his eyes then focused on her. "What have you done to me?" Chakotay screamed.

Kathryn sat straight up in bed. Her heart was pounding and beads of sweat were running down her face and back. She could feel her hair was damp and clung to her face. She looked around the room, wide eyed, desperate to orient herself. Kathryn had regularly been having dreams about Chakotay over the past few weeks since his death. They often were set on New Earth, the place she first began to have strong feelings for him. Lately, however, these dreams had changed. They used to be dreams full of love, fun and sometimes excitement. Lately, they had been frightening and sad. Often, Kathryn would find herself much like today, sitting up in bed disoriented and filled with dread and fear. Kathryn decided it was time to talk to someone about her dreams. She just didn't know who she was going to talk to yet. Maybe a fresh cup of coffee would help her decide. As she walked over to the replicator in her room, Kathryn said to herself aloud,

"No, better make it a whole pot. Computer, pot of coffee, black."


	8. Chapter 8

Chakotay was healing quite nicely. He had regained much of his energy and, for the past week, had been working hard on pod repairs. He knew the escape pod would never leave the surface, it wasn't meant to, but he wanted to fix the internal circuitry. Chakotay and Holly needed it to work if they had any hope of contacting Starfleet, or anyone for that matter. No to mention, they needed the replicators to work, to assist them in making clothing, food and supplies they would need to survive an indefinite length of time on this planet.

Chakotay managed to work his way up inside the main console that ran all the pod's systems. He was laying on his back with only his legs visible inside the cabin area. _How can anyone honestly think they can work in such tight spaces?_ Chakotay thought to himself. He was surrounded on all sides by circuits and support beams, breathing was difficult let alone finding the room to maneuver both arms while repairing delicate equipment.

Beads of sweat formed on Chakotay's forehead as his concentration intensified. _If only I could get these two components to sync-up together, I may be able to get the system to bypass the burned-out circuitry_. Again, Chakotay was thinking to himself.

"Hey!" Holly yelled down to Chakotay as she stood over his supine form. The sudden disruption caused Chakotay to flinch and a minor explosion occurred as two incompatible pieces of equipment came together. Smoke and flashes of light were visible to Holly, as she cringed because she knew she had messed everything up again.

"No!" Chakotay yelled in frustration. He slowly wiggled his way out from under the main control area and looked up at Holly. He was covered in soot, pieces of charred plastic and enough sweat to fill a liter-sized canteen.

"What now Holly?" Chakotay had difficulty keeping his tone neutral. He knew she was never intentionally disruptive, but sometimes her presence alone could be catastrophic.

"Um. Well...lunch is ready?" Holly said in the form of a question.

With all his might, Chakotay forced a smile and said, "Oh good, I'm starving. I could use a break from this anyway. I'm starting to get a bit...burned out." Chakotay gestured to the charred marks on his clothing. The two of them shared an easy laugh.

After, Chakotay and Holly finished their lunch they sat back and took a few minutes to just relax. They had both been feeling their stress levels climb over the past few days as progress toward repairs of the Pod's systems slowed to a stop.

"I was wondering how the latest attempts at recovering usable circuitry was coming along?" Holly probed Chakotay for answers as she hoped he would be able to give her at least some good news.

"Honestly, not that well. In fact, I would have to say that all repairs have officially stopped." Chakotay said with resignation.

"So what's next? We only have enough rations for a couple weeks at best, water is scarce and we have no idea what to expect from the weather. I mean this is a planet neither of us has any information on! For all we know, this could be winter and when summer comes we could roast to death!" Holly began to speak with an increased urgency and fear.

"You're absolutely right. I have been thinking about it for the past couple of days. After I discovered that the Pod's systems were not going to be repaired with the limited supplies we had I started to think about alternatives." Chakotay said.

"Care to share any of those alternatives with me?" Holly asked

"First, what can you tell me about our surroundings. You have had plenty of time to explore the area around our camp. Were you able to find any signs of intelligent life? Did you go up on that ridge over there and find out how far you could see? Are there any usable resources that we can utilize as shelter, food or hydration?" Chakotay's instincts were beginning to kick in. The training he received as a youth from his father was going to come in handy in a way he never thought possible.

"I went up on the ridge multiple times. I went up there to see if there was any usable materials for fire and shelter, however I was only minimally successful. There are basically shrubs, we can burn them but definitely not use them for making a shelter. Off to the east a few kilometers, there appears to be a body of water. Not huge, but definitely a lake. There may be some edible plants or fish or something we can use for food." Holly sounded as if she really didn't expect to find anything usable on the planet.

"Let's hope for some edible plants. Im a vegetarian like you and I really don't want to have to kill any animal life if I don't have to." The idea of killing animals for food never set well with Chakotay, but if his and Holly's life depended upon it, he would have to temporarily change his ideals.

"I agree one hundred percent. I'd much prefer to find a nice bunch of vegetables to make into a salad. Oh, and as far as intelligent life, I think you and I are it. I detected no lights in the distance, no roadways or trails. I could not see any buildings in the distance that would indicate intelligent life in the immediate area. Im afraid its just you and I for the time being." Holly smiled

"Well it could be worse. You at least know how to cook. Remember how I told you about my friend Neelix? He thought he could cook, and came up with some concoctions that could make a Klingon turn up his nose. Ha! He always gave it his best shot though, and we all appreciated him for it." Chakotay smiled but looked down as he realized how much he missed his friend.

"We have a few hours before it starts to get dark. Is there something you want me to start working on?" Holly inquired.

"Yes, why don't you start making a couple of survival packs for us. Make sure we have all the remaining rations split up evenly between the two bags. We will also need a few liters of water each. Oh, and make sure we have a couple sets of clothing to change into if we need it. I'll start collecting some supplies that will help us make fire, cut wood and that sort of thing. Meet me back here, let's say in an hour. We will go through our packs at that time, and make sure its all in order." Chakotay gave Holly his instructions and got up to start on his half of the duties.

"Do you have a plan as to where we should go?" Holly asked.

"Yes. Now hurry up and lets get this all done before it gets dark. I want us both to have a good night's sleep so we can leave at first light." Chakotay knew he wanted to get moving but, what he didn't tell Holly was, that he didn't yet know which way to go.

Chakotay and Holly worked hard to get everything they needed together. They decided that it would be good to try and get at least a full 8 hours of sleep so they went to bed early. Neither of them knew what the following day would have in store for them. As Chakotay laid his head down to sleep he couldn't help but think about Kathryn. She must be so worried about him. He wondered if she thought he was dead or alive. Chakotay wanted her to think he was alive with all his heart. He couldn't bare the thought of how much hurt she would be going through if she believed him to be dead. Chakotay knew he would again have dreams about Kathryn. He had been having the same dream for days. He would see Kathryn in the distance, he couldn't see what she was doing but she was crouched over something on the ground. All around her, he saw debris that smoldered and gave off a pungent smell. Much like in every one of these dreams, Chakotay would start to walk toward Kathryn and call out to her. She never heard him, she always appeared to be preoccupied with whatever it was that lay before her.

Chakotay often looked forward to going to sleep because he wanted to see Kathryn again, but he wanted to get closer to her and in each dream he managed to do just that. However, every time he got a few steps closer something happened that caused him to wake up. He often battled to get back to sleep and occasionally was successful, however he was never able to get back to THAT particular dream. THAT dream only happened once per night. Chakotay wanted to know what his dreams meant. He felt as if this dream was real some how. It felt differently to him then any other dream he could remember having in the past. He was able to feel the dream, see clearly and even smell what was going on around him in the dream.

"Goodnight, Holly." Chakotay said, he decided it was time to stop thinking and start doing. He needed to sleep and it was getting late.

"Goodnight. Sweet dreams." Holly added as an after thought.

"I plan to." Chakotay smiled to himself and closed his eyes. He wanted to see Kathryn again, even if it was just a dream.

Kathryn found herself amongst familiar surroundings once again. She was back on New Earth, only everything was burned and smoldering. She walked around in a daze, unsure of what happened and equally unsure as to what she should do next. Kathryn looked to the left and she saw what was left of her shelter, it had been reduced to rubble. Had it been another plasma storm? She looked to the right and could see the familiar line of trees that harbored her favorite piece of equipment; her bathtub. Kathryn set off in its direction. As she approached the tub, she could see that lying next to it was a body. A lump instantly formed in her belly. Heart pounding and tears streaming, Kathryn ran the rest of the way. Crouched on her knees, she slowly turned the body supine. While it was nearly unrecognizable, there had only been one other person on New Earth with her; Chakotay.

"Chakotay!" Kathryn screamed. She reached up and wiped soot from his face. Underneath the soot, Kathryn saw catastrophic injuries to his flesh and bone. The left side of his face had been melted, there were lacerations and burns that still oozed fluids. Kathryn looked at her own hand, it was covered in dirt, soot and the necrotized flesh and burned hair from Chakotay's face.

Kathryn screamed again. Her arms limp at her sides, her neck and head extended backwards, she sat back on her heels and sobbed uncontrollably. _What had happened_? She had no recollection of what disaster had befallen them. _How could she not know what was going on_? At that very moment she thought she heard something off to her right. _Was she hallucinating_? She cocked her head to see if she heard it again. There it was again. '_Kathryn'_. Someone was calling to her. Kathryn stood up and as she turned in the direction of the voice, she again found herself sitting up in bed.

She was no longer in that horribly destroyed place. A place that she had no memory of. Sure she remembered everything about New Earth; Kathryn could still remember how the plants smelled as they bloomed, how the water tasted after she and Chakotay ran it through a make-shift purifier. However, in her dreams, this burned out shelter, the destroyed camp site, and...and...Chakotay! That never happened. What could this all mean. With each dream, she seemed to get farther and farther into it before she wakes up. This last time she even thought she heard another person calling her name.

"Am I going crazy?" Kathryn thought out loud.

"Excuse me?" Kathryn almost jumped at the response she had posed to herself alone. She turned around to see her mother standing in the doorway.

"Mom, you scared me!" Kathryn said

"Im sorry, but you scared me. I heard you yell out again. I really think you need to talk with someone about your nightmares, Kathryn. They don't seem to be getting any better." Gretchen was definitely growing in concern for her daughter.

Kathryn let her mother's words sink in. "You are absolutely right mom. I'm going to contact the Doctor this afternoon and see if he has time to see me." Kathryn made up her mind that she needed some help. What she needed was help figuring out what these dreams meant.

"Oh good, I really hope he can figure out a way to stop you from having them. You have been losing sleep for weeks now." Gretchen softly smiled and walked out of Kathryn's room.

"I don't want to stop the dreams, just figure them out." Kathryn said, even though her mom was no where within earshot.

Kathryn got up and started getting herself ready for the day. She wanted to be ready for whatever she and the good Doctor were going to find out about her dreams. She decided it would be good to grab a padd and start recording everything she could remember about her dreams. This way, she could hand it to the Doctor and he could read it for himself. She didn't want to have to relate it all, and risk forgetting something. She was sure she would become distracted, by what she suspected would be, a million questions from her friend. Kathryn knew that the Doctor was going to suspect that she was suffering from some kind of depression or post traumatic stress or some nonsense, so she needed to convince him she thought it went deeper then that.

Kathryn stood in front of her dresser and finished getting dressed. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and didn't like what she saw. Her mom was right. She had been losing sleep over the past few months and it didn't look well on her. Her eyes were a bit puffier then usual, darker then usual circles could be seen under the puffy lower lids.

"Im going to look a scary mess. The Doctor will not be able to get past my appearance, he'll be so worried about me." Kathryn said to reflection. She decided to apply some make up. After she did, she again looked in the mirror.

"Eh, better but not great. Oh well. The doctor would just have to get over it." Kathryn then looked down hoping to find some jewelry to wear. Maybe a nice neckless or some earrings. She opened her drawer and her eyes came to rest upon the stone Naomi had given her the night of the funeral. Kathryn reached down and picked up the brilliantly colored stone. She rubbed it in between her fingers. It's smooth surface was cool to the touch and breath-taking to behold.

Kathryn had a change of heart. She was going to take charge of her situation and she was going to do it her way. She quickly changed into her official Admirable attire and placed the stone in her jacket pocket. No one was going to tell her anything but what she wanted to hear. Kathryn was in no mood, except for answers. She walked over to her desk and opened a link to the Doctor. Within a few seconds his face appeared onscreen.

"Kathryn...Admiral, Its great to see you. You look...official." The Doctor was not sure what to say when he got a look at his former captain.

"Its nice to see you again too. I was wanting to come and see you this afternoon. Are you available?" Kathryn inquired with a hint of a demand.

"Well actually I have this seminar I have been wanting to attend. Its on the theory of..." the Doctor began to say. He then realized he was not going to be going to a seminar after all. He was going to be meeting with Kathryn. "Oh, never mind. Actually, Im sure it would be quite boring, the speaker has a lot of good ideas but his delivery is..." the Doctor began to say.

"Wonderful. I'll see you around 1400 hours. Your office will be just fine." Kathryn cut transmission. Like she said to herself earlier. _Today, she was not going to be told NO_.

1400 hours

Kathryn arrived at the Doctor's office and made herself comfortable in the waiting area after signing in with the front office. She had not been seated more then 30 seconds however, when the door swooshed open and her friend, the Doctor, was standing there.

"Admirable, would you please come back?" The doctor asked, obviously trying to appear strictly professional in front of the rest of the patients that were waiting.

Kathryn stood up and walked past the Doctor to his office. Once inside, she turned to face him.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice. I know you have a very busy life, but there is something important I want to discuss with you." Kathryn stated.

"This sounds...important and yet also as if you don't want anyone else to know about this." The doctor said while he leaned toward Kathryn in a classic conspiratorial way.

"You're right doctor. I don't want anyone else to know about this. At least not yet. Not until they need to know." Kathryn was all business.

"Ok, then. What seems to be the problem."

"I have been having nightmares." Kathryn stated simply.

"Huh? As in frightening dreams. The kind every child has from time to time?" the Doctor was showing signs of confusion.

"In a way that's correct. However, I think my dreams...nightmares...may have another meaning. I'm coming to you to find out what that might be." Kathryn answered honestly.

"Well tell me about your dreams. Is there a theme? Are the same people in them?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, the dreams have two recurring characters in them. Myself...obviously...and, um...Chakotay." Kathryn's armor cracked.

"Oh." the Doctor was about to continue but the look of pity on his face forced Kathryn to interrupt.

"If you start to tell me how sorry you are for me, or that my dreams are somehow my way of dealing with Chakotay's death, I will erase your programming!" Kathryn stood with her clenched fists on her hips.

"Captain!" The Doctor began.

"Im NOT your captain! Im your patient. I want answers and I want them now. Here," Kathryn handed him the padd she recorded her dreams into. "take a look at this. I wrote down everything I could remember about my dreams. Read it. We can discuss it when your done." Kathryn sat and busied herself thinking of rebuttals to the Doctors objections, as she was sure he would have some.

It took an annoyingly short period of time for the Doctor to complete the reading. He looked at Kathryn with an expression she hated. The Doctor was pitying her.

"Kathryn, please hear me out on this. Before you rush off and do something rash, like erase my programming for instance, I am obligated to give you my honest opinion." The doctor said.

"Fair enough doctor. Continue...please." Kathryn would allow him to say what he needed to and then she would force him to look past his better judgement.

"Your dreams are a manifestation of your mind. You, as anyone in your position, are having a difficult time dealing with the death of a...close friend. The dreams are taking place on New Earth because you were happy there. You told me once, in private, that you had been able to come to terms with your feelings for Chakotay while you were on the planet. Granted, we came back for you and you had to make difficult decisions about that relationship for the betterment of the crew." The doctor paused and looked at Kathryn.

Kathryn took the pause as her time to speak. "I hear what you're saying doctor. I thought about the same things as well. Im not so impossible that I didn't think of that as a possibility. However, these are more then just dreams. They feel...they feel...REAL!" Kathryn said.

"That's just it, Kathryn. Dreams do seem real. That's kind of the point." the Doctor began eyeing Kathryn ready to jump if she went anywhere near his program.

"I know that. I understand what your saying. In fact, if I were in your position, Im sure I would be telling me the same thing. However, Im telling you that its different. Its not just a vivid dream. I feel like there is more at work here. I just don't know what yet." Kathryn had an idea. "Why don't you run every test you have on me. Check my brain for signs of telepathic activity. Check me for alien influences. And here," Kathryn handed the doctor the stone from her jacket pocket. "Run some tests on this and tell me if you come across any anomalous readings."

"Ok, but I want you to know Im doing this against my better judgement. If it were anyone else but you, I would flat out refuse and recommend you go to counseling. I might still make that recommendation." the Doctor took the stone from Kathryn and made himself busy running tests.

After four long hours of sitting and doing nothing but watch the doctor run test after test, Kathryn wanted to scream.

All tests were complete and the doctor came back into the room where Kathryn sat impatiently.

"Well? what did you find, Doctor?" Kathryn asked.

"Aside from the fact that you are suffering from some mild malnutrition, sleep deprivation and high levels of stress, not much." The doctor stated in his typical haughty tone.

"Well that was to be expected. But, nothing else? No unusual brain wave patterns? Anything out of the ordinary?" Kathryn was quickly losing hope.

"Nothing."

"How about the stone? What did you find?" Kathryn knew something had to be unusual about that stone.

"There are mildly higher then normal levels of psionic waves surrounding it. Other then that, nothing." The doctor said.

"Psionic waves. That's got to have something to do with it. Isn't that associated with telekinetic and telepathic capabilities?" Kathryn had excitement in her voice.

"Yes. But the levels emanating from the stone are so low that it was virtually undetectable." The Doctor countered.

"I still feel that there is a connection to the dreams." Kathryn insisted.

"Even if there was a connection, Kathryn. It would most likely just explain the vividness and the "realness" of the dreams. But the dreams are still your own creation." The Doctor tried to sound convincing.

"I understand." Kathryn said. But she didn't mean it. Not a word of it. She knew she wasn't going to be able to convince the doctor to help her, but that didn't mean that her other friends would be so cynical. "Thank you for your time and effort. Im sure I'll start to feel better in a few days." Kathryn tried to sound sincere. She reached up and snatched the stone from the Doctor's palm and put it back in her pocket.

"Kathryn, please try and get some rest. Oh, and drink more water and eat some real food. You're not making it any easier on yourself by drinking too much coffee and not eating healthy meals." the Doctor lectured his patient.

"Good advice. I need to get going. I'll contact you in a few days." Kathryn turned on her heals and walked out of the office.

It was time to pay B'Elanna a visit.


	9. Chapter 9

Kathryn looked at her watch. It read 20:00 hrs. It had been a full two hours since she left the Doctor standing alone in his office.

Kathryn stood outside the apartment that she new belonged to Tom and B'Elanna. She was definitely going to ask them for their help. What she didn't know quite yet, was how was she going to approach the topic. Should she ease into it, or just start giving orders...orders she knew had no real weight behind them as she no longer commanded them.

Taking a couple of deep, calming breaths, Kathryn knew what she needed to do. She reached up to the door chime and pushed it. Within 2 minutes, Kathryn could hear people rustling around inside the apartment, most likely attempting to figure out who could be calling upon them at this odd hour.

"Cap...Kathryn?" Tom fumbled on his words. "What are you doing here?"

"Its nice to see you too Tom. Do you mind if I come in?" Kathryn said with a smirk and dramatic roll of the eyes.

"Oh, of course. I didn't mean to sound so...so...shocked! Its just that, well, you are probably one of the last people I expected to see at our apartment, unannounced at this hour." Tom realized he was probably digging a deeper hole and amended his words. "But as I have obviously just put both feet in my mouth...Welcome Captain! I'll go and get B'Elanna." Tom hurried off toward the back end of the apartment. Kathryn knew that B'Elanna would be out here in a split second to ascertain the emergency. As if on cue, B'Elanna rushed into the living room, where Kathryn was seated on the sofa.

"What's going on? Are you ok? Are you hurt?" Kathryn couldn't help but smile at B'Elanna's concern. She took it as a good sign that B'Elanna may be willing to help her former captain and friend.

"No nothing of the sort. But thank you." Kathryn put a hand out onto B'Elanna's shoulder and added, "Your concern for my welfare is very much appreciated."

Obvious relief passed over B'Elanna's face, softening and visibly calmed she then asked, "Then what's going on? I mean, you are ALWAYS welcome in my home, but Im a little surprised to see you."

It was now or never, Kathryn concluded. She decided to take the direct approach, not as direct as she could be, but direct nonetheless.

"B'Elanna, I have something very serious I'd like to discuss with you. First of all, I want to ask that you hear me out before you ask any questions. It'll be easier that way. Secondly, I want this to remain between us...no matter what your decision is in the end. Do you agree to my terms?" Kathryn looked directly into her former chief engineers eyes. She could tell that B'Elanna was waring between her need for more information, her desire to share all information with her husband and her unfailing desire to please her former Captain.

"Of course. Anything for you." B'Elanna said with all seriousness.

"Good, is there some place we can go and speak privately?" Kathryn new Tom's insatiable need for gossip.

B'Elanna didn't answer, she simply turned and guided Kathryn to the terrace on the south side of the apartment. Once both women were outside and the door closed behind them, Kathryn turned to B'Elanna and said:

"Chakotay is NOT dead."

"WHAT? Are you sure? How do you know this?" Tears were beginning to well up in B'Elanna's eyes.

"Please. Let me tell you everything first, then you can ask me all the questions you want." Kathryn knew this was going to be hard for B'Elanna to hear.

"Ok. Go on...please." She replied.

Kathryn told B'Elanna everything from the beginning. She explained how she started to have dreams that continued to become more and more realistic. The dreams began to repeat themselves, only they became more vivid and went a bit further each night. Then Kathryn pulled out the stone that Naomi Wildman had given her the night of the funeral. She explained how she had taken it to the Doctor where he ran a full spectrum of tests on it as well as her. Kathryn explained how she knew this was going to be hard for her to believe, she knew how it must appear. Kathryn fully admitted that if she were in a similar situation she may not be quick to believe that her friend was not simply suffering from some mental breakdown at the loss of a close friend.

"Can I ask a question now?" B'Elanna inquired.

"Absolutely."

"What were the Doctor's findings with regards your tests and the tests of the stone?" B'Elanna asked.

"The good Doctor concluded that there was no indication that my brain had been taken over by alien influences. He decided that I was normal in every way except I could use a better diet and I need to cut back on my coffee intake. As far as the tests on the stone, he concluded that there was indications of psionic activity." Kathryn hoped that ending with that bit of information may allow B'Elanna to look past the other not-so-promising parts.

"Psionic activity? Huh. That's interesting, but I don't really understand how you came to the conclusion that Chakotay is somehow still alive." B'Elanna was trying hard to side with Kathryn but was having difficulty turning off her scientific mind.

"Its simply a gut feeling. These dreams are like none other I have experienced. They are more intense, more real and repeat themselves more often then any other I have ever experienced. The latest dream I had, just last night, I heard someone calling me from the distance. I looked up to see who it was and I cant say for sure, but I SWARE it was Chakotay!" Kathryn was beginning to become emotional. She wanted to keep all emotion out of it on her part because it would add to the image of someone suffering from a mental breakdown.

"Do you think that the stone somehow is channeling Chakotay's thoughts to your own? What's the background of this stone anyway?" B'Elanna asked

"What I know about this stone was told to me by Naomi. She said that when scary things happened aboard Voyager, Chakotay would go and seek her out to offer comfort." Kathryn began to say.

"Sounds just like him." B'Elanna said smiling and offering a soft laugh.

"Exactly what I thought. But anyway, he gave her this stone and told her that it came from his tribe, and was used to bring comfort to whoever was in its possession. He told her that it would bring people, loved ones together again. Even from faraway." Kathryn could feel her excitement growing. She knew she was right and she was not going to leave without the help of her friends. Kathryn also knew she would not be able to do it all alone, so urgency coursed through her veins.

"You realize this could be difficult. There is every indication that you are wrong about this entire thing and you may find yourself in deep trouble." B'Elanna offered as the devil's advocate.

"When have you or I ever backed down because something was going to be 'difficult'. If that was the case we would all be back in the Delta Quadrant. There would have been no way any of us would have made it home." Kathryn knew she was right.

The two women stood there starring at each other looking for a weakness...something to indicate who was going to win. Eventually, it was B'Elanna who broke first. She looked away and then said,

"If you are as certain about this as you were that we were going to make it home to Earth, then count me in. You know we are going to need more help then just you and I don't you?" B'Elanna said.

"B'Elanna, you don't know how much this means to me. I know that we can do this. I know I am right." The two women then embraced.

"I think the first thing you need to do is go tell you husband what we have decided to do." Kathryn began to say.

"Wait, what have we decided to do, exactly?" B'Elanna wanted specifics.

"We are going out there and we are going to bring Chakotay home where he belongs." the determination exuded from Kathryn was palatable.

"Ok then. First thing's first. We need Tom. I will have him come up with a good excuse for leaving Miral with his mom and dad. Maybe we can tell them we are going on vacation. Tom can talk with, Harry. Harry can NEVER say no to Tom." B'Elanna laughed.

"I will go and pay Seven a visit. Im sure she would be more then happy to get away for a while. Have you heard from Tuvok?" Kathryn wasn't sure Tuvok would be the best person to participate in this mission. The plan was nearly solely based upon gut instinct, conjecture and emotion. All things Tuvok tried to cleanse himself of through daily meditation.

"I have not heard from him but I bet he'd have a million objections to the mission." B'Elanna and Kathryn agreed to only seek Tuvok's assistance as a last case scenario.

"No time like the present then B'Elanna. We have a lot to get together and I fear that we may not have a lot of time. My dreams have been getting more and more graphic. They have all ended with bad results and I don't intend on letting that happen. Let's meet back here at your apartment in 1 week's time. That should give us enough opportunity to obtain a ship, gather everyone together and get supplies." Kathryn was in full captain mode. Her comments were orders...whether she intended them to be or not.

"Yes Captain. One week. Just in case people start to get suspicious of our goings on, lets communicate through encrypted channels." B'Elanna's training in the Maquis was going to come in handy as well, Kathryn decided.

"Good idea. No sense in anyone trying to put their nose in our business. This is a family affair. We need to keep it that way. I have always felt it is much easier to ask for forgiveness then for permission." Kathryn squeezed B'Elanna's arm and began to leave.

"I'll definitely keep that in mind." B'Elanna and Kathryn shared a meaningful glance and Kathryn left.

Back inside the apartment, B'Elanna busied herself with a Padd where she entered in codes and lists of things she needed to accomplish over the next week. Tom entered the room holding Miral and asked,

"What was that all about?"

"Tom. We need to talk." B'Elanna motioned for Tom to follow her as she explained everything in detail.


	10. Chapter 10

Chakotay and Holly had been walking for days. The environment around them at first appeared to be one of unusual plants that were full of vibrant colors. The sky was a shimmering mix of colors as well, produced from the nebula surrounding the planet. There were times when Holly and Chakotay would stop and rest, the two of them lay on their backs and starred up into the chaotic swirl of color, often becoming hypnotized by its beauty and lulled into a state of relaxed complacency. Hours would pass during their rest periods. Often it would take some kind of noxious stimuli to rouse them from their trance; such as the many insect bites the two of them had suffered.

While the intense beauty and serenity of the landscape appeared one of awe inspiration, it was actually a deadly combination of flora and fauna. Early on, their trek into the unknown took on a dangerous theme. Quicksand, predatory vegetation, and incessantly biting insects proved to be all Chakotay and Holly could handle. Chakotay would have given his left kidney to have a phase pistol. One quick shot and the venus flytrap-like plants would whither and die, rather then lunge forward, jaws agape with venomous ooze threatening to dissolve what little possessions the two of them managed to carry with them.

Holly and Chakotay learned early on in their travel that when night fell, they had better be at least 20 feet off the ground, or surrounded by fire if they had any hopes of escaping the nocturnal predators that roamed the wilderness floor. Chakotay had been surprised that these creatures existed. Where they had stayed for weeks previously, there was not a single sign of such creatures. He concluded that since they had moved out of the high plains and into the deeper jungle-like terrain, it should have been expected that they would have encountered different animal and plant life. He only hoped that as they prepared to leave the next morning and hopefully make their way out of this jungle, they would enter a more human friendly environment.

"I am really getting sick of scratching." Holly said from a tree limb just above where Chakotay was laying.

"Ha! You and me both my friend. I hope that your calculations are correct and we get out of this heavily wooded area by tomorrow. I getting tired of watching my step for quicksand, while plants seem to jump out of no where and attack us." Chakotay was tired, but in a good mood knowing he would soon be rid of this place. At least that's what he hoped would happen.

"Professor? I have been using the tricorder to take scientific readings of the various plants, insects and stuff." Holly said.

"And? Is there a something I need to know?" Chakotay wasn't exactly sure if she had a point to make with her statement.

"I have noticed that as we head east, the atmosphere has become increasingly polluted. Not polluted really, but different I guess." Holly wasn't totally comfortable with her findings or their potential implications.

"How different?" Chakotay asked

"Well, there is an increasingly large amount of carbon dioxide, ozone and methane...just to name a few."

"Are you thinking what Im thinking?" Chakotay was getting excited.

"That I shouldn't be wasting the tricorder charge?" Holly was serious, and that made Chakotay laugh even harder.

"HA! No! Those are signs of industry. Industry means intelligent life. Intelligent life means that they may have some way for us to contact someone to come and get us off this spirit forsaken planet." Chakotay wanted to get started now, but he knew it would be foolish to risk coming down from the tree until morning. "But remember, Holly, we don't know what kind of technological capabilities these people may have. They may not be warp capable. It'd be safest if we kept our tech hidden and only give the barest of information regarding ourselves, until we know who we are dealing with. Agreed?"

"I think it might be best if you did all the talking. Maybe I should pretend I cant speak at all. This way, I cant get us into any more trouble then we're in already." Holly said.

"Nonsense, you'll be fine. Just follow my lead. Now get some sleep. We need to be at our best in the morning. There's no telling what we'll find." Chakotay said.

Chakotay wanted to sleep. He wanted rest. He knew that he needed to be thinking clearly. The problem was, this was the first real hope he'd had since crash landing and waking up on this planet. Then he remembered, when he slept he dreamt of Kathryn. Maybe he'd get close enough to her this time to ask for her advice. His dreams were becoming more and more real as each night came and went. Chakotay closed his eyes. He could feel his breathing slow, the relaxation of sleep beginning to take over his entire body. He had that familiar sensation of floating in mid air as his mind transitioned from wakefulness to sleep. His last cognizant thought was of Kathryn. He knew he would be seeing her again tonight.

The sound of chirping insects brought Chakotay back from his dreams. He found himself laying in the same position in which he fell asleep. He remained on his back facing up at the prone form of, Holly, just above him. She was still asleep, mouth wide open and snoring slightly. Chakotay reached up and wiped away a wet spot from his forehead. He reluctantly came to terms with the fact it was a puddle of Holly's drool.

"Holly, Wake up." Chakotay used his right arm to shake her awake.

"Huh? We there yet?" Holly mumbled as she closed her mouth, narrowly capturing a new line of drool as it threatened to land on Chakotay's face.

"We haven't even started yet. We both must have been tired. This is the latest either of us has gotten up in a week." Chakotay was securing his belongings and preparing to leave the tree.

"Well, we better get going then. I would LOVE to be out of this insect-filled hell whole by lunch. If at all possible, sir." Holly said.

"Agreed."

With that Chakotay and Holly started off in the direction of the increasingly polluted air. They hoped that it would bring them closer to someone, anyone who may be able to help them get home.


	11. Chapter 11

Chakotay and Holly had been walking for the past three hours in search of a sign, any sign that they were getting closer to being rescued from their current predicament. Holly continued to use the tricorder sparingly, only turning it on every 30 minutes to gage the pollution levels of the atmosphere. As they continued their way through the thick foliage of the forest, Chakotay could see signs of something more troublesome. He could tell that Holly was beginning to give up. She appeared to be laboring physically, although they have not come upon any difficult terrain to cause such fatigue. Chakotay suspected she was feeling a bit depressed. For his part, Chakotay made small talk, asking about her friends, or lack thereof, and her hobbies. He tried to keep her mind off the fact they were stranded on this planet with little hope of leaving any time soon.

Holly glanced at the chronometer on her wrist and decided it was a good time to turn the tricoder back on and check their surroundings. As she did, the tricoder whirred to life, the lights bright and blinking on and off as the instrument downloaded and recorded the data it had been programmed to catalogue. At first, Holly thought it was going to be an uneventful data-read when to her surprise the tricoder began chirping.

"What's going on, Holly?" Chakotay realized the tricoder was reading something it apparently had not detected the previous time it had been used.

"Im detecting a large increase in atmospheric pollutants. It also appears that we are literally on the edge of the forest. 1.5 kilometers straight ahead is the edge of the tree-line. We can probably reach it in a matter of a few minutes!" Holly was very excited at the turn of events.

"Great news. Now remember what we talked about earlier. We need to filter what information we give out to anyone we may encounter. That is, if we encounter anyone at all. Does the tricorder read any life signs yet?" Chakotay asked.

"Its too hard to tell professor. The forest is rather thick, there are life signs but it could simply be animals, and not humanoids that it has picked up on." Holly continued to analyze the data spewing forth from the tricoder.

Chakotay and Holly continued on their way toward the edge of the forest. Holly had more spring in her step and Chakotay's mind actively tried to process their current situation. He knew he needed help if he was ever going to get off this planet. Chakotay just hoped that there would be someone here willing and able to help them. First contact situations often went really well, or really NOT well. He knew they could ill afford a negative first contact situation.

Within 30 minutes the two trekkers managed to weave their way through the dense foliage to the edge of a large expanse. The two of them stood in awe at the sight before them. As far as the eye could see, was a vast valley with rolling green hills. Rivers and lakes could also be seen in the distance. Chakotay scanned the horizon, desperate to find some sign of civilization. He put both hands up over his eyes, to shield him from the glare of the sun and swirling mass of plasmic clouds in the sky.

"Sir, look off to your left. Is that a smoke plumb? Can you see it? Just past that second hill. The one with the lone tree atop it." Holly was straining to see as she spoke. Chakotay turned and looked in the direction Holly had given. Sure enough, a small spiral of smoke was visible.

"That is definitely not natural. That smoke had to have been made by someone, and we are going to find out who." Chakotay had a definite edge to his voice. Holly silently hoped that whoever it is they find that they are friendly. She didn't want to have to run and hide back in the forest. That was the last place she ever wanted to find herself again.

It took no time at all for Chakotay and Holly to make their way down to the valley. The two of them approached the primitive-looking camp slowly, but without hesitation. Chakotay did not want to appear hostile, but he also didn't want to show fear or weakness. He had no idea who these people were or how they would react to their presence. When they were within the camp site, Chakotay decided it would be best to call out to whoever lived there rather then go knocking on the tent doors.

"Hello? Hello? Is there someone here we can talk with?" Chakotay called out hoping they could hear him.

A few seconds later a man, woman and small child came out of the tent. They had a look of momentary surprise at their unexpected guests. The wife turned to her husband and said something audibly but neither Chakotay nor Holly knew the language. It took a couple of minutes but soon Holly and Chakotay's universal translators adjusted to the alien language and translated it into English.

"Im telling you, they are visitors!" The woman said to the man at her side. "Look at their clothes, they are definitely not from here."

"I guess your right." The man agreed.

"We come in peace." Chakotay said before making mental note that he must have heard that line a 100 times in Tom Paris' cheesy holonovels.

The couple turned to Chakotay and Holly and smiled. "Welcome to Starfire." The woman said. "My name is Fryna and this is my husband Grabin. And this little guy is our son Akem."

"It's very nice to meet you all. My name is Chakotay, and this is, Holly."

"Ah, are you two a mated pair?" Grabin asked.

"No." Both Chakotay and Holly stated in unison. Then Chakotay continued, "We are friends and colleagues. We work together."

"Ah, I see." Fryna gave a bright smile and nod to the two of them. "Have you come here by accident?"

Chakotay was a little taken aback by the question but answered honestly, "Yes, we crashed landed some distance from here. We have been traveling for days in search of other people who might be able to assist us in returning home."

"Home?" Grabin asked.

"Yes, we are from Earth. We were sent into this region of space to perform research on another planet but crashed unexpectedly here...on StarFire?" Chakotay said.

"Starfire. Yes, that is the name of this planet. It will be your new home, much like it is home to all who live here." Fryna stated matter-of-factly.

"What are you talking about?" Holly asked.

"Its very simple. There are thousands who inhabit this world. We have all originated from different places, different planets but have come here. Everyone who originally comes here, does so by accident. However, once here, you are here to stay. There is no way to leave. Believe me, there is a long history of people attempting to leave. It has become part of our culture. In fact, last week we celebrated Arrival-Day. Its a wonderful festival where everyone comes together and tell stories of their ancestors. We all try and maintain as much of our original culture as we can but as time goes by, generation after generation, there is a lot of mixing between species. Cultures have become blended over time." Fryna was very pleased being able to educate her visitors. She was proud of their way of life and wanted Chakotay and Holly to integrate into it as soon as possible. She had seen many people transition from desperation, desperation to leave and return home, to denial and eventually acceptance of the fate that had befell them. Ultimately, everyone assimilated into daily life, and came to accept their fate.

"So what you're saying is that we are stuck here?" Holly's voice raised a full octave.

Chakotay gave Holly a sharp look and then said:

"What she's trying to say is that we don't have any intention in making Starfire our home. We want to go back to Earth and reunite with our family and friends."

"That's to be expected. But it's simply not possible. For centuries travelers from all over this region of space have been crashing on Starfire. There have been many attempts to reach out to anyone that could help, however it has been met with zero success. Its now the policy of everyone on Starfire to refuse to assist newly stranded ones in their efforts to leave. You are not here as hostages, please don't misunderstand me, but no one here has the time, energy or resources to assist in efforts that have no chance of success. If you want to try and contact your people to come and help you, that's your business. But you wont get any help from us." Fryna was not upset, but simply direct. Chakotay thought that she must have had to deal with many stranded individuals over the many years she has spent on Starfire.

"We understand your position. Can we ask that you please help us with our rations? Maybe show us how to find fresh water, healthy and safe plants to eat during our travels?" Chakotay asked.

"Of course! Everyone is pretty helpful around here. We just wont help you do something that's a waste of time." Grabin said with a huge smile on his face. He was apparently happy that neither Chakotay or Holly attempted to beg for help with communications to the outside world. "For now, why don't you join us for dinner. You can spend the night and then move on in the morning if you see fit to do so."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you. Your hospitality is very kind." Chakotay thanked them. He then turned to Holly and said: "Why don't we go and get cleaned up for dinner." The two of them followed Fryna to a separate tent on the opposite side of the camp area.

"You two can share this tent. There is plenty of room for you, and it'll give you some privacy while you stay with us. There is a little area to shower and use the lavatory behind each tent." Fryna informed them. She gave them both a quick glance, from head to toe, and then smiled. Fryna then shook her head and said under breath: "Not together? Huh." She then turned a walked away as she too prepared for dinner.

After dinner was over with, the host family went to their own sleeping tents and went to rest for the following work day. Chakotay and Holly also went to their sleeping tent as they were unsure of what tomorrow would bring them them. As they both lay there trying to will sleep to come and take them away from this reality, Chakotay began to think of all the things back on Earth he was going to miss. Emotion began to well up inside him as he thought about Miral Paris. She was going to grow up and never get to know him. He was going to miss his friends as they moved on with their lives. None of them would ever know what had befallen him. They would all assume he had died. Yet there he was, full of life, wanting desperately to go home and see them all again.

It was one thing to be stranded in the Delta quadrant when he was surrounding by friends who became his family. It was something entirely different to now lose that new family and be stranded here virtually alone. Chakotay had wanted to get back to Earth when he was stuck on Voyager. He had wanted to see his sister again and return to his family's home. But there aboard Voyager he had Kathryn. She was his Captain. She was his best friend and confidant. She knew him better then anyone else in his entire life. He had opened up his heart to her even though he never thought he could do that. Kathryn however never really showed her love for him. He knew she loved him, but he wasn't entirely sure she was IN love with him. They flirted countless times aboard Voyager. He even thought she had opened her heart to him somewhat while on New Earth. But she always managed to squash all his hopes and dreams of being together, just as it seemed he was making progress. Was there even a point in trying to leave Starfire? Chakotay wasn't entire sure he would want to return to earth if he couldn't have Kathryn. Maybe it would be easier this way. Maybe Fryna was right after all, what Holly and he needed to do was assimilate into society here on Starfire and be happy, move on with their lives. There were plenty of opportunities here. As his heart and mind were softening to the idea of making Starfire their new home, sleep overtook Chakotay. He felt that familiar weightlessness that signaled the beginning of his dreams. How would his new state of mind affect his dreams tonight? Chakotay had no idea, in fact he didn't really care. He just wanted to sleep.

In the morning, Chakotay woke up in the exact position he remembered falling asleep in. He was laying on his back with a sheet covering him. It had not appeared that he moved at all during the night. He also couldn't recall his dreams. Maybe he didn't have any dreams last night, he thought to himself. That would be the first time since he landed on Starfire he had not seen Kathryn in his dreams. A twinge of sadness gripped him. He really missed Kathryn. He longed to see her, to feel her touch and hear her voice. Chakotay cursed to himself, upset that he couldn't move on even though logically he knew he needed to do just that.

"Sir? You ok?" Holly was standing next to him with a concerned look on her face.

"Huh? Oh, yah. You and I need to have a talk this morning." Chakotay informed her.

"Does this have anything to do with last night?" Holly asked.

"What happened last night?" Chakotay answered her question with one of his own.

"Well, sir, you were...uh...crying?" Holly looked down at the ground and then tentatively back up into Chakotay's face as he didn't immediately respond.

"I was? I must have been sleeping. I don't even remember having a dream last night." Chakotay was being honest with Holly. He didn't recall anything from last night.

"Well you were asleep. That much I could tell. And you were definitely dreaming. You kept talking to Kathryn. Not exactly sure who that is, but you were pretty upset. I'm assuming she was your captain you've talked about in the past." Holly said.

"Do you remember what I was talking about? Be specific if you can. I have been having dreams that feel more like reality then normal dreams. Almost like Im actually communicating with...certain people...rather then simply dreaming." Chakotay really wanted to figure out what was going on and why he had no memory of last night.

"You were talking to this Kathryn woman. You were telling her that you had given up. You said you knew you would never make it off this planet. There was no one to help us and maybe it was better this way. Then you pulled out an envelop from your jacket pocket, read it and started to softly cry. I debated to wake you up but wasn't really comfortable doing it." Holly said

"The envelope." Chakotay rushed over to his jacket and frantically searched for it. "Its not here. Did you see what I did with it?"

"You sat straight up in bed, handed it to me and then collapsed back down and slept silently the rest of the night." Holly took the envelope out of her pocket and handed it to Chakotay. She then added, "And no, I didn't read it. I figured it wasn't really any of my business."

With a shaking hand, Chakotay reached for the envelope and took it from Holly. He slowly turned and walked over to the opposite side of the sleeping area and sat on the floor opening the letter as he did. The letter was short and written in Kathryn's hand. What it said was short but extremely to the point and cut through him like a phase rifle. The letter simply stated:

Dear Chakotay:

Please come back to me as soon as you can. I have been doing a lot of thinking about us. I love you with all my heart and I cant imagine my life without you. Once you're back from your mission, I don't ever want to be away from you again. I understand this may come as a shock to you, and honestly it should have been said in person...face to face, but I love you and the thought of losing you scares me more then death itself. Hurry home to me.

Love Kathryn

Chakotay slumped down onto his side and silently allowed his emotions to escape. Holly was unsure of what to say or do, so she turned around and left the sleeping tent. Once outside, Holly looked around and tried to come up with something to keep herself busy. She decided that research would suit the current situation well, and turned on her tricorder. She began by exploring the camp itself and then moved to the surrounding area. Holly hoped to find something that may assist with getting she and Chakotay off this planet.

Chakotay remained still on the floor as he felt himself falling asleep. He felt spent after his emotional breakdown and desperately wanted to sleep. He hoped that he might be able to dream about Kathryn again. In his heart he knew he wasn't simply dreaming. He knew he and Kathryn were sharing their dreams of New Earth and it was time for him to make contact with her. He didn't know how long their shared dreams would last, and he needed to let her know where he was.

"Kathryn! Kathryn!" She could hear her name being called from far off in the distance. As she looked up she could make out a human form coming toward her. Kathryn stood up and walked in the direction of the voice. As she got closer, the form started to take on a familiar shape. It couldn't be, Kathryn thought to herself.

"Chakotay? Is that you? But I thought you were..." Kathryn began to say as she began to run toward Chakotay.

"Dead?" Chakotay ran the last few remaining steps as they crashed into each other's arms. They hugged each other tight and remained in a locked embrace. Eventually, Kathryn took a step back. She had tears in her eyes as she looked at Chakotay in disbelief.

"I thought you had died? I was just standing over your burned body. You weren't breathing. You had cuts and broken bones...I...you..." Kathryn was obviously confused and torn between what she just saw, and what she was looking at now.

"Im not dead. Some how we are communicating with each other. Im not sure what's going on myself. I keep dreaming about you, Kathryn. Each time I get a little closer and a little closer but I always wake up before Im ready." Chakotay said.

"I have been having the same trouble. Every night I look forward to seeing you in my dreams, but lately the dreams have become increasingly real and increasingly desperate. I hoped against hope that I was not going insane. I wanted you to be alive so much I felt that maybe I was making all this up in my own mind. Honestly, I still could be, but this seems so real to me." Kathryn shook her head.

"Kathryn, Im alive. I desperately want to come home to you but I have no way to get back to you." Chakotay said.

"Why, tell me where you are. I can come for you. I can get everyone back together and we can save you!" Kathryn was desperate for information as she knew she could awake at any minute.

"That's just it, I don't know. Im...oh no I can feel myself waking up." Chakotay didn't want to leave Kathryn just yet. "It might be better for us, Kathryn." Chakotay started to say.

"What do you mean? Better...Chakotay read your letter! Read the letter I wrote for you!" Kathryn was fading from view.

"Kathryn, I..." Chakotay started to say as he began to vanish from Kathryn's view.

"READ the LETTER!" Kathryn screamed as she sat straight up in her bed. Breathlessly she swung her legs out of bed and rushed over to the computer. Kathryn frantically typed in the needed information to contact B'Elanna.

Within a few minutes time, B'Elanna's face flashed onto the computer screen. She looked tired but not unhappy to see Kathryn.

"Hello Captain! You ok?" B'Elanna smiled, concerned for her friend.

"Yes, Im fine. I have had another "dream", only now Im sure its not really a dream. I have been communicating with Chakotay all along and he now knows he has with me. Do you have everything in place that we need to rescue Chakotay?" Kathryn asked.

"Yes, just a few minor details to get sorted out." B'Elanna yawned.

"Good. I'll be there in a few hours. We need to get everyone to your house by 0800 hours and get moving. I don't know how much time we have before it's too late." Kathryn said.

"Did Chakotay say anything about his current location? Or if he was in some kind of danger?" B'Elanna wanted answers she could work with.

"No, not eactly. I don't think he is in any immediate danger but emotionally and mentally I fear he may be giving up. He sounded defeated, B'Elanna. When have we ever heard him sound like that?" Kathryn asked.

"You're right. He's never defeated. Come as soon as you can, Captain. I'll have everyone here and ready." B'Elanna cut transmission and rushed off to get everything ready as promised.

"Tom! We have a lot of work to do. Get up and help me!" B'Elanna called out to her husband with a this-is-not-a-request tone in her voice.

It was precisely 0800 hours as Kathryn checked her watch while standing on the doorstep of the Paris home.

Kathryn rang the door chime outside the Paris' apartment. It took mere seconds for the door to open and Kathryn could see the apartment was full of her old crew. Harry, Seven of Nine, Tom, B'Elanna and even the Doctor was there to greet her as she came inside. Emotions welled up inside Kathryn as she realized they were all together again under one roof, working toward a common goal. The only one missing was Tuvok. Kathryn figured that B'Elanna would not ask him to come along as he would not see the logic in what they were doing. Attempting an entire mission on the basis of "dreams", wouldn't set to well with an all logical Vulcan. Kathryn stepped inside and started making quick small talk with everyone in attendance before getting down to business when there came a knock at the door.

"I'll get it B'Elanna." Kathryn said as she reached for the door.

To Kathryn's surprise, Tuvok was standing there with his typical emotionless face waiting to be let inside.

"Tuvok! Oh I wasn't sure you'd be coming." Kathryn said as she reached out and gave her friend a hug, one that was received with as much emotion and warmth as a uniform hanging on a coat hanger.

"It's only logical I would be included in such a mission, Captain. Someone needed to be here to provide assistance, and logic to the situation." Tuvok said without a hint of sarcasm or comedy.

"You're absolutely right my friend. Come on in and help us 'logic' our way through this situation." Kathryn showed Tuvok inside and shut the door.

"Ok everyone, I need your attention." Kathryn decided it was time to take on the captain role once again. "Im pleased you have all decided to come and help me rescue Chakotay. As you may know, I have been in contact with him during my dreams. I know how this sounds, but we have been in many more difficult and less likely situations in the past. If anyone has any objections, please say them now. Once this mission is underway, there is no turning back." Kathryn looked around the room at her former crew.

"Captain, I believe I would be remiss if I didn't mention the serious dangers that await us in the Dorian system. Also, basing an entire mission on dreams and emotional experiences is not only illogical, but dangerous." Tuvok stated.

"I have to agree with Tuvok, Captain. However, I am willing to come along so I can help save you all from yourselves." The Doctor said in his typical sarcastic bedside manner everyone had grown accustomed to.

"Very well. All objections have been noted. Now let's get to work. We have a lot of stuff to work out before we leave." Kathryn was feeling great. Invigorated by the mission and being in command once again. The only difference was she didn't have Chakotay at her side, to calm her down and put her at ease, as he knew just what to say to her at the exact time she needed to hear it. Not having him here tore her up inside, motivating Kathryn to push through all of her own self-doubt.

The former Voyager crew sat down and discussed a plan. They worked nonstop for hours and just like in the good-old-days, they had it all worked out to everyone's satisfaction. Everyone was prepared to leave the following morning. The crew transported themselves to a nearby hanger where they boarded a ship Tom was able to borrow from the Starfleet testing center. He arranged, with the help of Admiral Paris, to "test fly" the new concept starship in an "unofficial" Starfleet mission. Tom had been head of the department responsible for building the ship and he was very familiar with all aspects of this prototype. Tom thought all the new technology aboard would suit them well if needed. Within an hour of arriving, the crew had loaded all supplies and finished all diagnostic checks needed for take-off.

"Is everyone in their positions?" Kathryn asked with full authority behind her words.

"Aye sir!" Everyone said in return.

"Tom, set course for the Dorian system. Maximum warp. Let's bring our family home." Kathryn commanded.

"Course set. Maximum warp ma'am." Paris said as he smiled to himself. How many times he had said those exact words in the past. He never really thought he would say them again, but here he was back at the helm, piloting for _THE_ Kathryn Janeway. Tom was happy, and as he looked around the ship's bridge, he could see that he was not alone.


	12. Chapter 12

Time passed rather quickly as Holly became absorbed in her research. She scanned the hillside surrounding the camp in search of usable materials. Holly wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for, however she decided that anything that could possibly be used as food, shelter or materials to repair their pod's circuitry would be a great place to start. Unfortunately, other then edible vegetation, Holly came up with nothing useful. She did manage to use her tricorder to triangulate their exact location on the planet. It was difficult considering the interference from the nebula that engulfed Starfire. Holly had no way of tracking their movements planet-side by conventional means because the sky revealed no stars and no visible sun or moon to follow because of the thick clouds of plasma just beyond the planets atmosphere. Holly did manage to calculate their coordinates by a series of mathematical equations she remembered from her studies at the university. Feeling a sense of achievement, Holly began to walk back to the sleeping tent where she had left Chakotay a few hours earlier. She hoped that he had managed to deal with whatever it was he read in that letter. She wanted to tell him the good news about her discovery and she hoped that Chakotay would have a plan on how to use it.

Holly came within 10 feet of the tent and she still was unable to see Chakotay anywhere. Her concern for him grew with each passing step until she nearly reached the opening of the tent. That's when Chakotay flipped open the flap and stepped out of the shelter. Holly was surprised at how he looked. She had half expected him to look distraught, disheveled or disenchanted...something with a "dis" in it, however, Chakotay appeared calm and surprisingly upbeat.

"Holly, I was just coming to get you. We have a lot to discuss." Chakotay said with a smile.

"Oh good, I have some news for you and I was hoping you were feeling better then this morning." Holly replied

"Ok. You first." Chakotay told Holly, more of a command then a friendly gesture.

"Well, I started out looking for some usable materials that we may use to make a shelter or eat for food. I also checked the mineral content of the hillside to see if it was a viable option for component repairs to the Pod's circuitry. Unfortunately, other then some nutritious vegetables, I came up with nothing. HOWEVER, I did manage to triangulate our exact location on the planet." Holly added that last part quickly to see if Chakotay was listening.

"Really? Exact location?" Chakotay seemed impressed.

"Well, not exact...but within a few meters anyway." Holly conceded.

"That really is remarkable, Holly. That will come in handy when we are rescued." Chakotay got up from the floor and began to pack some of his things into the travel pack.

"Wait a second. Did you say rescued? How so?" Holly was surprised by this new development.

"Well, I have managed to get into contact with Admiral Janeway. And Im sure she is coming for us as we speak." Chakotay said matter-of-factly.

"Contact? How did you do that?" Holly was concerned her professor may have lost his mind. Whatever was in that letter really seemed to have changed Chakotay's attitude and the sudden change had her concerned.

"I have been having dreams about her and last night we connected. I couldn't remember my dream when I first woke up this morning but after reading the letter it all came rushing back to me. I also managed to get some more sleep and while I did, I contacted her again. Kathryn is coming for us. I know it...I feel it." Chakotay emphatically punched at his chest.

"Um. A dream? With all due respect, sir. I would like to believe you but its hard for me. Im much more of a hard science type a girl. I like facts. To me, the facts show we are stranded here. We need to actively work toward remedying that situation, or we need to adjust to life here on Starfire. The latter option doesn't appeal to me, but its the only other option that comes to mind." Holly, for the first time, showed she was a force to be reckoned with.

Chakotay stared at Holly. He was torn between irritation that she didn't seem to be taking him seriously, and happiness at her showing some backbone in this situation. Chakotay decided that he was going to agree to disagree.

"You're right. While I truly believe that we are going to be rescued, I can see where you are coming from. I will work with you on a viable alternative...just in case." Chakotay stuck his hand out to shake Holly's as a symbol of unity, and a pact to the end; whatever that end turned out to be.

Chakotay and Holly went inside and packed up their remaining belongings, and then eventually they made their way outside the sleeping tent. Before leaving, they thanked their hosts of the previous evening for the wonderful food and hospitality. Fryna hugged them goodbye and told them that they were welcome anytime back at their camp. She wished them success on their journey and reiterated to Chakotay that it would be better for them to accept their fate now, rather then waste time attempting something that has never been accomplished. Chakotay, thanked her for her concern and told her he wished her and the family a long and healthy life. Chakotay had no plans on ever seeing them again. He was bound and determined to return to Earth and spend the rest of his days surrounded by his friends and family.

"Where should be go, Chakotay?" Holly asked.

"Good question. I thought about it and I think it would be best to find a large open area. The rescue team may need to land rather then beam us aboard the ship. The interference with communications and transports will definitely make rescue difficult. Also the fewer life signs around us the better. They may have some scanning capabilities. If so, we don't want to complicate things by being around large numbers of other biosignatures that they'd have to weed through to find us." Chakotay had obviously put a lot of thought into this already.

"Good enough for me." Holly replied. "Why don't we head up north along this stream. We can be close to water and according to Grabin, there is a vast plains area a hundred kilometers past that ridge. It might take us a few days, but it might be a good place to set up camp."

"A hundred kilometers due north it is then." Chakotay was enjoying himself.

It had been a long six days since Kathryn and her crew set out from Earth at maximum warp. The worry showed on the entire crew, but at the same time, it was great being together again, working toward a common goal.

"Captain, we are entering the Dorian System. There appears to be significant distortions surrounding the planet Cazor." Harry stated from the helm.

"On screen, Harry." Kathryn stood up as the image before them came into view. She was surprised at what she saw. There were blurred colors swirling and shimmering in a chaotic mass; unrecognizable to the naked eye.

"Can someone tell me what the HELL Im looking at?" Janeway was in no mood for this.

"Basically, we are looking at the planet and its surrounding orbital bodies. The shimmering colors are actually stars on the other side of the system that have shown through the massive distortion fields." Tuvok stated calmly.

"So what your telling me is Chakotay is somewhere in that mess?" Janeway asked.

"We have no idea exactly where Chakotay and his colleague are located. The debris field spanned between this location and the near by nebula." Tuvok answered.

"Harry, put the nebula on screen. Let's have a look at what we're dealing with here." Janeway was not convinced that Chakotay was on the planet at the middle of the distortion field.

Within seconds the next image appeared on screen. The Nebula was brilliant in color. Thick and full of technology inhibiting elements, Kathryn was unsure where to begin. Did she risk her crew and attempt to land on Cazor? Or should she scan the surrounding area of space for possible life sustaining planets, moons or asteroids. Kathryn decided that she should sleep on it. Maybe something would come to her in a dream. She had not been able to conger up her usual New Earth dream during her trip out here. She hoped that she had not tricked herself into believing something that wasn't reality.

"Its getting late. I suggest we all get a good night's sleep. We need to be fresh if we are going to give this a go tomorrow. In the morning, I believe we should begin by attempting to land on the surface of Cazor, or at least getting close enough to escape the distortions so we can use our scanner and search for life signs. That is, unless someone has a better idea." Kathryn looked around the room at her former crew. Each of them made eye contact with her and then looked away. If any of them had a better, or different idea, no one spoke up.

"Ok, then. Let's get some shut eye. Everyone meet back on the bridge at 0800 hours. If at that time you have another suggestion, please speak up then." Kathryn turned around and left the bridge. She was in a hurry to get back to her quarters. She had a feeling she was going to get some more answers tonight in her dreams. However, there was a part of her that questioned her own decisions. Kathryn was a very proud woman and she knew it. She hoped that her pride and her belief in her original theory about Chakotay was indeed true, and not some romantic and delusional attempt at denying Chakotay had indeed been killed in the accident. Just before she got into bed, Kathryn pulled the brilliantly colored stone from her pocket. She rubbed it mindlessly between her fingers as she thought about Chakotay. Palming the stone in her right fist, Kathryn said aloud to herself, "Chakotay, we will find you. I may need some help on this, my friend. Please come to me in my dreams...I need to see you." With that Kathryn laid her head upon her pillow and slowly drifted to sleep.

Chakotay and Holly made camp nearly two days ago. Up until yesterday, their hopes of being rescued remained high. However, Chakotay was having difficulty sleeping and he was not experiencing his usual dreams. Chakotay began to worry that maybe he had yet again been mistaken. Maybe his desire to see Kathryn again had clouded his judgment. It was possible that his emotions had gotten the better of him, it wouldn't have been the first time and he was pretty sure it wouldn't be the last. He did know that he needed to meditate. Chakotay had not been able to relax enough to mediate and he knew just how to fix that.

"Where are you going?" Holly asked Chakotay.

"Im getting ready for bed." Chakotay said.

"But you normally sleep in your tent." Holly replied.

"Im going to attempt to meditate. I need to relax and clear my mind. It'll be easier if I don't have any distractions. No offense." Chakotay smiled as he walked away with his sleeping back in tow.

He found a nice soft and quiet area just past the ring of light being given off by the campfire. Chakotay stretched out his bag and took out his meditation materials he carried with him at all times. Set before him was a pipe, an arrow and a beautiful stone that shown vivid colors when held to the light. These items belonged to his ancestors and he was able to draw on them during his mediation to obtain the answers he sought. Chakotay slowed his breathing and closed his eyes. The world surrounding him melted away as he found himself back on his home world. He looked around him and saw the beautiful forests and listened to the sounds of night animals that called out to prospective mates or signaled dangers perceived. Chakotay looked across the campfire that burned before him and saw a wolf sitting staring back at him.

"Spirit guide. It is good to see you again. It has been too long." Chakotay smiled to his old friend.

"It has. You are seeking knowledge. You want answers." The wolf replied.

"I need to know the truth. I need to know if Kathryn is coming to rescue us. Or have I just been deceiving myself?" Chakotay was surprised at the bitterness in the last sentence.

"The answers you seek are within your heart. What you know you believe. What you believe can be reality." The Wolf answered.

"Are you telling me that help is on the way?" Chakotay needed some straight answers. He needed something to hold on to, something to continue to believe in.

"Chakotay, son of Kolopak, you know in your heart the answers to what you seek. Listen to what your heart is telling you and it will lead you in the right direction." With that the wolf disappeared leaving Chakotay sitting in pure darkness outside camp. He slowly lowered himself down onto his side and fell asleep. Chakotay knew in his heart, he would see his Kathryn tonight, even if it was only in his dreams.


	13. Chapter 13

"Chakotay! Are you here? Chakotay, where are you? I need more information!" Kathryn called out to Chakotay.

She was surrounded by darkness but she knew she was back on New Earth. She knew she was "dreaming" and this was possibly her last chance at contacting Chakotay. Frantically, Kathryn searched through bushes and thick low lying groupings of foliage that covered the ground. She had no idea what state she would find him. In some of her previous dreams, Chakotay had been dead. Others, he was wounded and still others he was perfectly alright and able to communicate effectively. Kathryn cocked her head to the right as she strained to hear what she thought was a voice coming from behind her.

"Chakotay?" Kathryn got up and walked in the general direction of the sound, stopping every few strides to listen intently for additional noises. Again, Kathryn heard a low hum-like sound coming from directly in front of her, but she couldn't see anything but the outline of trees and small brush plants.

Once Kathryn reached the area she suspected the sound originated, she knelt down and reached out with both hands, blindly groping for whatever it was that made the sounds. Kathryn's hands settled upon what felt like a leg. It was under some brush that covered the ground in this area of the forest. Kathryn stood up and pulled with all her might and managed to free the body from the undergrowth. Quickly, Kathryn got down on hands and knees and examined the body. It was indeed Chakotay.

"Chakotay? Are you ok? Can you hear me? Talk to me, Chakotay. Its me, Kathryn." Kathryn begged.

"I know." Chakotay whispered in return.

"Please, you have to let us know where to search for you. We need to know how to find you." Kathryn was desperate for information.

"Im...alive." Chakotay again had difficulty managing his words.

"I know, I know. Please, tell me where you are. I have to find you. There isn't much time, Chakotay. I think Im really the only one who believes you're alive." Kathryn put her head down on his chest and held him.

"Planet...we landed...neb..." Chakotay tried to say but was soon unconscious, or dead, Kathryn wasn't entirely sure which.

"What did you say? Where? I need more..." Kathryn started to ask but soon found herself in her room aboard the ship. Her digital chronometer squawked, reminding her that she needed to get up and begin looking for Chakotay.

Kathryn rolled her eyes as she realized her need for punctuality and orderliness possibly cost her the information she was seeking in her dreams. Kathryn swung her legs out over the side of the bed and sat for a minute. She wanted to remember exactly what Chakotay had told her. He had said he was still alive and he had landed on a planet. Then he had said something like "neb" or "nab" or something, Kathryn couldn't remember.

"Captain Janeway to Harry Kim." Kathryn wanted everyone to start right away on the search.

"Harry, here." Harry replied in his usual eager-to-please tone.

"Harry, I want to have Tom get us as close to Cazor as we can, scan the area for signs of life. Try to pinpoint the location of possible debris from an escape pod. I'll be on the bridge shortly." Janeway instructed

"Aye, Captain." Harry then gave the instructions to Tom and the two began to work.

Kathryn stepped onto the bridge and found that her entire crew was hard at work. Each at their own work station, each feverishly programming computers and interpreting results.

"Any news?" Janeway asked.

"Captain, we managed to bring the ship safely into the Cazor atmosphere. The varying gravitational distortions have less impact on the computer and scanners at this level." Tom said

"Good, Tom. Harry, have you located anything on the planet surface that may indicate human life? Any debris on the surface that may appear to be from Chakotay's ship?" Kathryn asked hopeful they would find something.

"No, Captain. In fact, there doesn't appear to be any signs of intelligent life anywhere on the planet. The only life we have detected are native flora and fauna. Nothing more." Tuvok responded, inflectionless as usual.

B'Elanna stepped toward, Kathryn. She leaned in close and softly inquired: "Were you able to contact Chakotay last night?"

"Yes." Kathryn responded. "He said he was alive, on the planet and then something about..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at the large view screen in front of her.

Kathryn rushed up to a computer and began to feverishly type commands into the computer, analyze the data and then type some more.

"What did you find?" Seven asked.

"Seven, there is a nebula not far from here. Look..." Kathryn pointed to the view screen.

"I don't see the relevance of such a comment." Seven stated, her head cocked to once side.

"Last night, Chakotay was trying to tell me something. He was unable to speak clearly and I only heard part of his message. I recall him mentioning a nebula. Or at least I think that's what he was trying to say." Kathryn replied as she continued to analyze the data from the surrounding area.

"The likelihood that Chakotay and his companion were able to reach the nebula, AND find a planet to land on, capable of sustaining human life, is remote at best, Captain." B'Elanna said.

"I know the odds are not in our favor. I know that this must all sound illogical, insufficient and unlikely to you. If I was in your shoes, I would probably have my own doubts. In fact, I have my own set of doubts." Kathryn said in a deep voice, that dripped with emotion. "I cant explain exactly how I KNOW what I know. But you have to trust me. Chakotay is alive and he needs our help. I'll be damned if I turn around now and go home empty handed." Kathryn slammed her fist on the console in front of her. She looked from crew member to crew member. She made eye contact with each and everyone of them, silently conveying her resolve and determination to see the mission through to completion.

"Im with you, Captain." The Doctor stated simply.

Within seconds, each member of the crew acknowledged their allegiance to Kathryn and her plan. They would head for the nebula and search of Chakotay, even though they knew the odds were stacked against them.

Chakotay awoke to find that he was still laying on his blanket a few hundred feet from camp. As he straightened himself up into a seated position, he unconsciously rubbed his neck that had become stiff during the night. He scanned the horizon as well as the sky above, looking for any sign that help was on the way. Nothing. It looked much like it had when they made camp the previous afternoon. Chakotay knew, however, that he had made contact with Kathryn last night. He remembered her asking him for specifics on their location and how to find them. What he couldn't quite remember was the answers he gave. Chakotay thought to himself, _I don't really know where exactly we are, how could I have given Kathryn any kind of specific directions to find us._

Chakotay stood up and stretched. _Man I'm getting old_, he thought. He headed off to find Holly and let her know he had made contact with Kathryn and hoped that a rescue team would be here soon.

"Holly, how was your night?" Chakotay asked as he approached Holly sitting in front of the campfire. She looked as if she belonged in a museum. Her straggly hair, dirty face and clothing made her look like one of the mannequins in the museum depicting ancient humans as they squatted in front of a fire gesticulating wildly, grunting and swatting at one another. A smile crossed Chakotay's face as he envisioned Holly acting out his daydream.

"It was..." Holly started to answer. She looked up at Chakotay and continued, "What's so funny?" She sounded irritated since she couldn't imagine anything being fun or amusing this early in the morning.

"Nothing. Just thinking to myself. Anyway, I made contact with Kathryn in my dream last night. I bet it wont be long until we have an away team here to pick us up." Chakotay decided not to tell Holly that he was probably unlikely to have given specific information to find them. Keeping things positive was more important at this point then full disclosure.

"I truly hope your right. I don't think I can take much more of this place. I need a bath. I want a change of clothes. And no offense intended, but I want to have a conversation with someone my own age!" Holly said rather pointedly.

"Ouch." Chakotay joked, "I didn't realize I had an expiration date."

"That's not what Im saying. I can't explain it. Never mind." Holly stood up and began walking toward the travel tent they had been given by Fryna and her family.

"Holly, are you ok?" Chakotay asked, concern shown on his face and in his tone. Holly stopped, paused and then finally turned around to face him.

"No. I don't share your optimistic view of our future." Holly looked down at her shoes and began to cry.

Chakotay walked up to her and put his arms around her. He hugged her tight. At first she stood their stiff and unwilling to allow Chakotay to comfort her, but soon her hard outer shell melted away and she hugged him back. The two remained there locked in a embrace that solidified their friendship and brought comfort to them both. As they let go and stepped back from each other, Holly said,

"Thank you sir. I needed that."

"Sir? I think you can call me Chakotay. Haven't we already covered this?" Chakotay laughed.

"You're right. Sorry. Chakotay, thank you for being my friend. I don't have many of you, and I really needed one. Maybe you're right. Maybe someone will come and find us. I have to believe that you're right or I will go crazy!" Holly smiled and went inside the tent to get rations for breakfast.

Chakotay turned around and began breaking sticks and branches into useable sized pieces of firewood. He believed they would be saved. He had to believe, for living without Kathryn would not be a life worth living.

Kathryn Janeway and her crew remained busy working on their respective computers. Each had been given a separate task at analyzing various points of data in an attempt at locating Chakotay and his companion. Kathryn was making herself dizzy staring, unblinkingly at the computer screen trying to analyze the various streams of data scrolling endlessly across the data padd.

"People, talk to me. What does everyone have? There has to be something out there indicating their location." Kathryn looked up from her own research when she realized no one had offered any information. "Don't all talk at once. Tuvok, what have you been able to determine?"

"The nebula appears to have formed after a nearby star that reached the end of its life. The gravitational forces at work in this region of space have caused this mass of star-debris to migrate to this area where it currently resides." Tuvok stated flatly.

"Ok, so now that we have all had our astronomy lesson of the day, what the hell does that have to do with why we're here?" Kathryn's patience was wearing thin.

"I think what Tuvok is trying to say, is that because the nebula traveled here, and was not created here, it could make it possible that a planet would be hidden within its thick clouds of stardust." Seven stated, nearly as flat at Tuvok, but with the usual hint of irritation.

"Captain, the amount of stardust in the nebula is making it extremely difficult to scan for life signs let alone planetary structures." Harry announced from the helm.

"There has to be a way of differentiating between the nebula and a planet. Think, people." Kathryn urged her crew to put their heads together to create a solution.

"There may be a way, Captain." B'Elanna said.

"What've you got B'Elanna?" Kathryn knew they were getting close to what they needed.

"If we can program the computer to isolate all areas of the nebula that have a density that correlates with a standard M-class planetary structure, we could simply go and find them." B'Elanna looked directly at the Captain. Kathryn could see that B'Elanna had that familiarly intense look that usually indicated she was right.

"Do it." Kathryn said. "Inform me immediately, as your results become available. For the rest of us, let's keep working." Kathryn could sense that her crew was going to be successful this day.

No one spoke for the next hour. Each member of the crew worked nonstop on the mission at hand.

"Captain! I have something you need to see." B'Elanna called out from behind the captain.

"On screen." Kathryn said as she stood to get a better look at the view screen.

As the view screen lit up, Kathryn was able to see the nebula that appeared just in front of their ship. As B'Elanna furiously tapped commands into the computer, the image changed considerable.

"Im isolating out the various elements that are strictly associated with a diffused star. Then if we program the computer to only 'see' materials at a density associated with an M-class planetary structure we see this..." B'Elanna typed the last few commands into the computer.

On the screen in front of them the image changed from swirling colors of various gases interacting to a near perfect image of a planet. The planet itself was unremarkable, it looked much like any other planet the crew had seen tens of thousands of times in the past. However, cheers rang out all around the bridge. Kathryn turned to B'Elanna smiling from ear to ear and clapped.

"B'Elanna! You did it." Harry patted his old friend on the back.

"Great job B'Elanna. Ok people, lets get a move on. Tom, set course for the planet. Bring us as close as you can so we can isolate Chakotay and his companion's life-signs. As soon as you have a transporter lock on them, beam them directly to the bridge." Kathryn was not going to take any chances.

"Yes, sir!" Tom set course and engaged.

"Chakotay, I have to ask you a question. It's probably none of my business but, since we are friends and all now..." Holly started to ramble.

"What would you like to know?" Chakotay was intrigued at what Holly could possibly be wondering about him that made her so uncomfortable.

"Well, remember when we were at Fryna and Grabin's camp?" Holly paused to wait for an answer.

"Yes..." Chakotay answered.

"Um, you had this...um...letter. It seemed that after you read it, your entire attitude changed. Who was the letter from?" Holly asked.

Chakotay reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the letter in question. He opened it and read it aloud to Holly.

"Wow. Is that from THE Kathryn Janeway?" Holly asked with excitement.

"The one and only." Chakotay smiled.

"And? How do you feel about that?" Holly couldn't get enough of the gossip.

"I absolutely, totally, and unequivocally love her with all my heart. I have since we spent time together alone on New Earth." Chakotay said.

"What the...?" Holly began to say when they both felt the familiar, yet slightly disorienting feeling of transport.

As Chakotay materialized aboard the ship, his momentary disorientation faded away as he took in the many faces of his former crew mates. Emotions from deep within him were awakening and needed to be released. He scanned the faces, unsure of what to do or say, his surprise was overwhelming. Chakotay knew he would be saved, but somehow this came as a total surprise.

"Chakotay." The voice came from behind Chakotay. He couldn't see her, but he knew who it was. His insides began to melt away, the cares and worries of the past couple of months simply began to disappear at the sound of Kathryn's voice. He slowly turned and looked directly at her. She looked amazing. Just as he remembered.

"Kathyrn." Chakotay managed to say before he found himself rushing towards her.

They collided in an embrace that everyone could feel aboard the ship. The crew laughed and cried together. Everyone began to hug and rejoice in the happy homecoming.

"I see you read my letter." Kathryn said as she pulled away from Chakotay.

"I did." Chakotay said as he wiped his face with both hands.

"I want to hear all about your little adventure." Kathryn leaned in close and then whispered, "But not until you've had a chance to shower." Kathryn's eyes laughed as she took in the full sight of Chakotay's disheveled appearance.

"Ha. With pleasure." Chakotay laughed. He then leaned in conspiratorially close and said, "Your quarters, or mine?"

"You don't have your own quarters." Kathryn replied, one eyebrow raised.

"Perfect." Chakotay said.

Kathryn reached a hand toward Chakotay's face. Her hand slowly and gently touched the scars and melted flesh. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked at, what must have been very painful.

"Chakotay, are you in pain? I remember from my dreams...how you yelled out for help. Its breaking my heart to know it actually happened to you." Kathryn's voice broke with emotion.

Chakotay grasped Kathryn's hand that was upon his face and placed it on his chest, just above his heart. He leaned in close to her and whispered,

"No pain could compare to the pain I felt when I thought we would never be together. The Doctor can fix the injuries to my face, but no one but you could fix the injuries to my heart. I love you."

"I love you too." and with that Kathryn reached both hands around Chakotay and hugged him deeply. After a couple of minutes, she realized that she and Chakotay were indeed not the only ones in the room. She let go of the embrace and simply held his hand in her own.

Kathryn whistled loudly to get everyone's attention. She had something she wanted to say. She had something that NEEDED to be said.

"First of all, I would like to say that everyone did a spectacular job today. I couldn't be more proud. I can't imagine not having you all in my life. We are family and we will always be here for each other. Let us never forget that. There will be plenty of time for celebrating later. First, I want Holly and Chakotay to get adjusted to the ship. Tuvok, would you mind sharing a room with Harry so Holly can have some privacy?" Kathryn asked.

"Certainly, but wouldn't it be more logical to have Holly share a room with Seven of Nine and Chakotay could use my quarters?" Tuvok asked.

"That wont be necessary, Chakotay has accommodations already." Kathryn stated with all the authority she could muster, "Chakotay if you'd like, you can follow me. I'll show you where you will be staying." Kathryn grabbed his hand and lead him to the turbolift. She then looked back at Chakotay and added, "permanently." Kathryn smiled and kept walking.

The remaining crew members stood motionless with varying emotions etched upon their faces. Only the Doctor seemed confused.

AN: I would like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing and for the ShannenSekaya for helping me beta this beast...ha! Also I have been working on an Epilogue to help tie this all up at the end. So let me know what you think and If you want to see some more? Thanks again for reading!


	14. Epilogue

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride." Stated the religious leader.

Andrew Kim leaned in and kissed his new bride, Miral Paris, on the lips. All in attendance erupted in applause, whistles and joyous celebration. Chakotay reached over to his wife and grabbed her hand into his, leaned in and whispered,

"Kathryn, it seems just like yesterday when we exchanged our vows."

Kathryn leaned her head upon his shoulder and said, "It really has been the happiest years of my life. I can't believe we've been married for 20 years. It still seems like a dream, something I never thought would happen. Especially when you think back to..." Kathryn trailed off inaudibly as she remembered back to the near loss of the one she loved.

"That was nearly 22 years ago. I can still remember the moment you beamed me aboard the ship, rescuing me from Starfire. I still become emotional when I think back to that time." Chakotay said.

"I'm just glad it all worked out for the best." Kathryn squeezed his hand and then added, "Now, we need to mingle and make our guests feel at home. They're in our backyard and I want to make sure this reception goes off without a hitch." Kathryn's voice changed from nostalgia and reminiscence, to one of determination and authority. Chakotay knew that if he was not actively helping his wife with this 'mission', he needed to stay out of her way.

Chakotay stood and watched his wife scurry around the tables of food. She arranged and rearranged the bowls and napkins, to make sure that everything was in its place. Chakotay knew that, while his wife could stare down a Hirogen hunter with all the grace and determination of a million-man army, Kathryn always became nervous to have her former crew together again...although she'd never admit to that fact. Kathryn wanted nothing but happiness for her adopted family and if there was anything that she could do to make that happen, she did it...no matter what.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Chakotay heard a voice say from behind him. He turned to see that B'Elanna was standing there with her arms spread wide. She and Chakotay shared in a warm embrace between friends.

"You look great, B'Elanna." Chakotay said after he let his friend loose from the hug.

"You don't look so bad yourself. I can't thank you and Kathryn enough for having the wedding and reception here. The kids couldn't decide where to have the big day, when she offered your home. It really was very nice." B'Elanna looked around and smiled as she saw everyone enjoying themselves.

"I just can't believe Miral is even old enough to GET married. It seems like just yesterday she was a rather large lump hiding in your uniform." Chakotay said while he shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh, those were the days huh? I still remember trying to maneuver around in engineering, even though I was literally the size of the warp-core itself." B'Elanna replied with equally as good of humor.

"So tell me, how did Andrew and Miral get together in the first place? I knew they were friends growing up, but never really heard anything about a romantic relationship." Chakotay asked.

"Basically, they were best of friends growing up. Miral is just over a year older then Andrew and Harry and Lindsey wanted to make sure they grew up together. Lucky for all of us, we live rather close, as you know, and they had ample time to play and become rather close. None of us knew that they had romantic feelings for each other until Miral announced she had been accepted to Starfleet Academy. Well, Andrew stormed out of the room and Miral went chancing after him. Later we found out that they had been secretly dating for the past year and Andrew couldn't bare the thought of Miral going off to the Academy without him." B'Elanna feigned annoyance.

"But I thought that they went to the Academy together?" Chakotay asked.

"They did, that's just it. Apparently, Andrew had been plotting all through high school to earn extra credits so he could graduate early."

"Oh, well good for him. I helped tutor him in archeological studies and archeological studies II. He said he had to take them together and got the teacher's permission to do so. Apparently it was part of his plan. The kid is smart, I'll give him that much." Chakotay said.

"Yes he his. And he will make a wonderful husband. He has the patience needed to deal with Miral. That girl can really be a handful." B'Elanna replied

"I have no idea where she would have inherited that from." Chakotay said and instinctively took a step back.

"Funny." B'Elanna said. "Well I guess I'll start mingling. Its been a really long time since I've seen some of these people. Oh look, Vorik and his family are here. I'll talk to you later." She patted Chakotay firmly on the chest and walked away to get caught up with her former subordinate.

Chakotay scanned the crowd of people that meandered around in his back yard. Most of the people he recognized, but there were some he couldn't place. _Who was that with Lt Carey's widdow? Had she found herself someone new?_ Chakotay's heart quickened and the tears threatened to spill over as he remembered his old friend that had died along their journey home from the Delta Quadrant. He hoped his friend's wife was able to find some happiness. Chakotay made a mental note to go and introduce himself before the night was through.

Chakotay decided that it was a good time to locate his wife. He was sure she was scurrying around trying to please everyone, and he knew she would appreciate some help...even though she'd never ask for it. Before Chakotay was able to go in search of Kathryn, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find Holly standing before him.

"Holly! It's great to see you!" Chakotay said.

"I was surprised to get an invitation to the wedding, but couldn't pass up an opportunity to come for a visit. How have you been?" Holly reached out with both hands and gave her former professor a hug.

"It has been a really long time since I've seen you. I'm not sure where to start."

"Well I see that marriage has treated you well. You and Kathryn were made for each other. That was evident way back in the day, when we were stuck on Starfire." Holly smiled. "I have good news for you. I have been named Chief Archeologist AND Chief Anthropologist on the upcoming mission to Starfire. Can you believe I agreed to go back there?" Holly had originally said she would NEVER return to that region of space, but an opportunity to be in charge of a delicate mission such as this, was too hard to pass up.

"Congratulations. You know, I have always had the upmost confidence in your abilities. I knew it wouldn't be long before student accomplished more then the teacher." Chakotay was extremely proud of his former student. "So tell me, Holly. Is there anyone special in your life?"

"Straight to the point as usual." Holly feigned annoyance. "Actually there is. My colleague on this mission, Joe, and I have been spending a lot of...personal time with each other. It's been nice. He is the mission's Chief Biologist."

"That's great. After you have completed your time on Starfire, please come by and share what you've learned. Bring Joe as well, I'd like to meet him." Chakotay and Holly exchanged information regarding their work and personal schedules and agreed on a general time for the next visit. Chakotay then returned to his search for Kathryn.

Chakotay scanned the crowd but was unable to locate his wife. _She must have went inside to get more food or drink_, he thought to himself. He made his way around the clusters of tables and chairs as he headed for the back door to their home. That's when the unexpected happened.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please!" The Doctor announced. "I have something very important I'd like to say."

Chakotay noticed that The Doctor was standing conveniently near the stage microphone, as if he had this announcement planned. Next to The Doctor stood Seven of Nine. She wore a beautiful blue dress that brought out her naturally blue eyes. She was stunning to behold. Chakotay was glad that she had continued to pursue her 'humanity' with the help of The Doctor. According to Harry, The Doctor and Seven have been like teacher and master student. The Doctor actually wrote lesson plans for Seven to follow, study and integrate into her daily encounters with fellow humans. To everyone's surprise, Seven had been making great improvements in her social skills.

"I know that this is a very special day for Andrew and Miral. I asked them for their permission ahead of time, to allow me to make this announcement." The Doctor paused and looked around the audience for a few seconds before he continued, "I have been spending a considerable amount of time with my good friend Seven. I never really thought this would happen to me, but I have fallen in love with her." The entire crowd of onlookers took a collective gasp. The Doctor then turned to face Seven and went down onto a bended knee before continuing. "Seven, I want to ask you to be my wife."

Seven's face was nearly expressionless, but for those who knew her well, saw the emotion she was fighting intensely to hide. She smiled as her emotions welled up in her eyes and said, "That would be acceptable." She laughed and gave The Doctor a hug before saying, "I'm kidding, I'd love to be your wife." Everyone in attendance clapped, cheered and whistled their joyous agreement.

Chakotay heard the back door to his home crash open. He turned around just in time to see Kathryn run outside with a large spoon of potato salad in one hand and a kitchen towel in the other.

"What happened? What did I miss? Chakotay what's going on?" Kathryn hated being left out of the loop.

Chakotay couldn't help but smile. The look on Kathryn's face was priceless. She was wide-eyed, her hair was slightly disheveled and she had bits of food in her hair and on her clothes. She had obviously been working hard in the kitchen when she heard the unexpected celebration in the backyard.

"Seven and The Doctor just got engaged." Chakotay said.

"What doctor? Who?" Kathryn replied, still slightly out of breath from her mad dash to the backyard.

"The Doctor. Our doctor. He just proposed to Seven." Chakotay couldn't help but chuckle.

"Wait a second. I'm confused. So you're saying that for the past 20 plus years, Seven has been 'studying' her humanity, and now she's going to marry a hologram?" Kathryn couldn't get past the irony.

"That sounds about right. Seven has come a long way from when we first met her as a Borg drone. But you know, as well as I do, that this is the most 'human' thing Seven has EVER done. Even if she isn't marrying a flesh and blood human being." Chakotay said in hushed tones.

"You're right. I am very happy for her. She deserves to find happiness as we have." Kathryn squeezed Chakotay's hand in her own. "I'm going to congratulate the happy couple. Are you coming with me?"

"I'll catch up to you in a minute. I'm looking for someone, you go ahead and I'll catch up." Chakotay turned around and began searching for a special member of his former crew.

Chakotay weaved his way through the crowd, politely excusing himself as he pushed past friends, acquaintances and people he'd never met. He remembered her being on the invitation list, but thus far had not seen her anywhere. It had been quite a few years since they saw each other and he always felt a sense of sadness when he thought about how she no longer lived down the corridor from him, as she had done aboard Voyager.

"Chakotay?" He heard his name called from behind him. He turned and found the one he searched for had been searching for him.

"Naomi! It's so great to see you." Chakotay reached out and embraced little Naomi. Only, she was no longer little, she had grown into a beautiful young woman.

"I have been looking all over this place for you. I knew you were here, its your home after all." Naomi smiled and backed a step away from Chakotay so she could get a good look at him.

"When I saw Seven and The Doctor get married, I felt like I needed to find you. Something so shocking in the past would have upset your world. Change was never one of your strong points back then." Chakotay said kindly.

"I know. I don't know if I ever had the chance to thank you." Naomi replied.

"Thank me? For what?" Chakotay honestly didn't know why she would have anything to thank him for.

"When we were lost in the Delta Quadrant. There were so many times that I was scared out of my mind. I lost so many nights of sleep, worrying about anything from alien attacks to running out of food and needing to eat Leola Root stew for the rest of my life." They shared a laugh at the reference to an old friend. "But you managed to always comfort me when I needed it most. You were a father to me, when I didn't have one. You were my friend and my hero." Naomi looked away as tears welled up in her eyes.

"You have nothing to thank me for. I came to comfort you because it seemed right. You needed a father figure and I needed someone to comfort. It worked for both of us. You are the daughter I never had...in fact your the child I never did have. My only regret is that we don't stay in closer contact. I know we all get busy but I plan on keeping in better contact. In fact, Kathryn and I have talked and decided we are going to make a yearly habit of visiting you regardless of where that may be. I hope you'll be ok with that." Chakotay said.

"That would be fantastic!" Naomi rushed in for another hug.

"Ok young lady. Now spill it. I heard a rumor you have a guy in your life. Who is he? Does he have a good job?" Chakotay fell into the father role rather quickly.

"I think the Voyager grape vine is the fastest in the world. Yes, actually I met him a couple weeks ago and things are great. And YES, he has a job. We actually work together at the school. He's the elementary mathematics teacher, our classrooms are directly across the hall from each other." Naomi beamed.

"That's great. If he ever gives you any trouble, you call me and Kathryn, he wont know what hit him." Again the two friends laughed and gave each other a hug.

They exchanged plans for the next few months and set up tentative plans for Kathryn and Chakotay to come for a visit to Florida sometime in late summer before the new school year was scheduled to start. A few minutes later, Chakotay again found himself alone. He silently observed everyone around him. He saw his wife smiling and hugging those around her, Seven and The Doctor were fending off the masses who came to congratulate the new happy couple. He turned to the right and saw Tom and B'Elanna hand in hand conversing with Harry and Lindsey. Tuvok and his wife, T'Pel stood stoically as they were assaulted by open the emotions of their friends and former crew members. Chakotay couldn't help but smile. He thought back to the time he spent on Starfire, and how this moment almost didn't happen for him. How sad he would have been, had he not had the opportunity to enjoy his life, surrounded by the best and most trustworthy people he'd ever known. Indeed, this was a fantastic day, a fantastic life and for the first time in his life he came to realize that he was truly happy. There was no more 'angry warrior', in fact, there was no need for an angry warrior. He truly felt at peace. Chakotay wiped his eyes and walked in the direction of his beloved wife, Kathryn. They had a party to host, and he planned on making it a great party; one to make great memories for all who attended.

THE END

AN: Thankyou for everyone who read this story and for the kind reviews. Please let me know what you think of the epilogue. Thanks again!


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